Record Store Day Haul #6: Superchunk - Void/Faith 7" - Coke Bottle Clear Vinyl (/1000)

Record Store Day Haul #6: Superchunk - Void/Faith 7" - Coke Bottle Clear Vinyl (/1000), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Merge (2013)

Superchunk has just been on an absolute tear these past few years. Everything they touch turns to gold and this Record Store Day 7" is no exception. Two trademark Superchunk punched up pop songs once again just making me freak out waiting for their next full length.

This actually ended up being the record I was most worried about acquiring on Record Store Day. Though I spent most of my time in line at the store fretting about the Rocket From The Crypt reissues; when the guy in front of me got the last copy of the Superchunk 7" I went into panic mode. It seemed that most of the other folks I had been talking too around the country over the course of the day were running into similar issues (though one of them managed to snag me the Giant Henry LP with what seemed like minimal hassle).

Luckily my friend @polianarchy in Philadelphia managed to score this 7" for me and I am super grateful to her. I have a pretty hefty Superchunk 7" collection and it would have been a real shame for there to be one missing. And no one really wants to buy a brand new 2 day old record for collector prices on eBay, do they? Well, I don't anyway. Thanks #TeamSwami!

Record Store Day Haul #5: The Thermals - Desperate Ground Demos 7"

Record Store Day Haul #5: The Thermals - Desperate Ground Demos 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Saddle Creek (2013)

Though The Thermals are one of my favorite bands, they've never really done anything on record store day that's very special. In fact, the vast majority of their 7"s in general are kind of similar. Album tracks & demos for the most part. I just get the feeling that they never really embraced the format as anything other than an album teaser. There's nothing inherently wrong with that; but it just makes collecting their 7"s more like collecting baseball cards as I almost never listen to any of them.

Their Record Store Day 2013 release is more of the same. 4 demo versions of 4 songs from their latest album. Honestly, it's not a really stark difference from the final product as Desperate Ground is one of the more lo fi sounding records in their catalog as it is. It was very important for me to get this record as I need to keep my Thermals collection complete, I just wish they would do something really cool and exclusive one year. Heck, even a 7" full of covers or something would have far more replay value than demos. Maybe next year.

Record Store Day Haul #4: Samiam - Clumsy LP - Red Vinyl (/1500)

Record Store Day Haul #4: Samiam - Clumsy LP - Red Vinyl (/1500), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Siren Culling Series (2013)

I completely blew it and missed the boat on Samiam back in the 90's. I couldn't really even tell you why. I think I heard a song or two that I didn't like and then completely wrote off the entire band's catalog. I really just never listened to them. Well, I screwed that up pretty good, because Samiam are pretty stellar.

I am lucky as just about all of Samiam's full lengths have recently been or are in the process of being reissued. Clumsy was a Record Store Day 2013 release on red vinyl, limited to 1500 copies. It was one of the top wants on my list this year and I was able to grab a copy without incident.

The record itself is great. Clumsy was Samiam's major label debut, and it sounds like one. The production is maybe a bit glossier than I typically go for, but considering what else was coming out at the time, it makes total sense and I actually think it helps the songs shine even more. What really struck me about the record is how much it reminds me of Goosefair by China Drum. Maybe not as much as far as songwriting goes (as I think China Drum is just one of the all time greatest bands), but certainly in the way the album, especially the vocals, sound.

This is probably an ass backwards reference and I'm sure this would be a statement more useful in trying to get people to listen to China Drum than it is a way to describe Samiam. Regardless, this is a great record and I am full bore on the hunt to grab the rest of the Samiam discography.

Samiam - As We're Told:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy-DqNGlATE

Samiam - Capsized:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=erxi9MgF-ms

Record Store Day Haul #3: Stephen Malkmus - Can's Ege Bamyasi LP -Green Vinyl

Record Store Day Haul #3: Stephen Malkmus - Can's Ege Bamyasi LP - Green Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Matador (2013)

This record was $30. This single LP record was $30. That's my big takeaway from this album, that I cannot believe it was selling in the store for $30. I didn't even notice it was this expensive. In the fray that is Record Store Day morning, I was just having my want list filled as quickly as possible and was rushing out of the first store so I could get in line at the 2nd store. It wasn't until much later in the afternoon that I noticed how much I paid for this record. There's just no justification for this price.

On the plus side, the art is nice and the colored vinyl looks good. The cover is a screened (printed?) fold over so it does create one of my big pet peeves; no album spine. But it does look nice.

Musically it's OK. It's a live performance of Stephen Malkmus playing some Can songs. I can't say I've ever really cared that much for Can and I'm certainly not intimately familiar with any of their work. The songs that Malkmus cover range from interesting to tedious. There's a few upbeat songs that actually have some basic pop song structure to them, but there is also a great deal of meandering and shrill guitar noodling. Some good, some bad.

At the end of the day, I do like the fact that I was able to pick up this record and add it to the collection, but I just can't get over how unnecessarily expensive it was. I just feel like I got rooked and played like a sucker for Record Store Day. I understand that some of the records are going to be somewhat overpriced (there's a lot of people trying to get their hands in the cookie jar), but this one I can't justify.

Stephen Malkmus - I'm So Green:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=voIahZ-xQJU

Stephen Malkmus - Vitamin C:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCU49wasIw0

Record Store Day Haul #2: Rocket From The Crypt - Live From Camp X-RayLP -Orange w/ Black Splatter Vinyl (/500)

Record Store Day Haul #2: Rocket From The Crypt - Live From Camp X-Ray LP -Orange w/ Black Splatter Vinyl (/500), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Vagrant (2013)

Second of the two records that put me in line in front of a record store at 3:30 in the morning. Getting this and Group Sounds were the absolute number one priorities of my Record Store Day and I consider myself quite lucky to have grabbed them both. In particular I think Live From Camp X-Ray looks phenomenal.

I was so excited about this record when it originally came out and I still love it today. It's just a fast, rough blast of rock and roll. No frills, no waiting around; just an all out assault. I remember some folks complaining that the record was too short or that they didn't like the recording quality and little complaints like that, but I've always loved it. To me, there's just something to be said about an album like this that's just short, too the point and LOUD.

Sound quality wise; again I can tell very little difference from the first pressing. It's possible the bass has been upped every so slightly, but really there's not much of a difference that I can hear. Where this record really gets me is the colored vinyl. Orange with Black Splatter is such a great compliment to the artwork, so cheers to whoever came up with this idea. I think it's one of the best matched vinyl colors to artwork that I own. If you can find one of these, I don't see how you don't pick it it.

Rocket From The Crypt - I'm Not Invisible:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQR8GSKuRQY

Rocket From The Crypt - I Can't Feel My Head:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=07pED24o5KE

Rocket From The Crypt - Bring Us Bullets:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=02Yrl4nfEAo

Record Store Day Haul #1: Rocket From The Crypt - Group Sounds LP -White w/ Yellow Splatter Vinyl (/500)

Record Store Day Haul #1: Rocket From The Crypt - Group Sounds LP - White w/ Yellow Splatter Vinyl (/500), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Vagrant (2013)

I'll start off the Record Store Day scores with the first of the two records I wanted the most. The two Rocket From The Crypt reissues are pretty much the reason that I got in line at a record store at 3:30 in the morning. I then spent the next 4 1/2 hours trying to figure out if the people in line in front of me were going to get these LPs before I had the chance. Though admittedly kind of stupid of me, I was so stressed out the whole time I waited. But my luck held out and I managed to get Group Sounds and Live At Camp X-Ray (which I'll write about tomorrow).

Group Sounds hit at such a perfect time for me. I was done with college, I was just starting to find my place at the job in the music industry I had started and it had just felt like forever since the last Rocket album had come out. I heard Group Sounds about a month or two before release date. I actually walked to the office of another promotion company that we were working with to pick up a copy and bring it back to the office. I just remember being blown out of my chair from the very second Straight American Slave hit.

This record is just so tough. It's loud, it's brazen, it's just one of the most intense records floating around out there. Every song on here just makes me want to jump around like a mad man (which I did at many, many Rocket From The Crypt shows) until the very last song; Ghost Shark. Ghost Shark is just a perfect slow, creepy album closer that lets you catch you breath and gather your wits about you before moving on to whatever you're about to do next.

The Record Store Day reissue sounds really good. I'm not really sure if they've made any changes to the audio quality as compared to my original press, but both sound great to me. The white vinyl with yellow streaks/splatter looks especially cool as I've always been a sucker for white vinyl. The whole package looks great, and being limited to 500 copies makes me extremely glad I was able to track one down. Tomorrow we'll talk Live From Camp X-Ray.

Rocket From The Crypt - Straight American Slave:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_Xy8nZsfqU

Rocket From The Crypt - Savoir Faire:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dP-epnQZNU

Rocket From The Crypt - Ghost Shark:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ortPBCrOcHk

Record Store Visit: Princeton Record Exchange - Princeton, NJ -04/20/13 (RSD13)

Record Store Visit: Princeton Record Exchange - Princeton, NJ - 04/20/13 (RSD13), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

This will also be doubling as my post about the various Record Store Day hijinks that took place this past Saturday. Though Princeton Record Exchange was the 2nd store I visited for Record Store Day, I have already done a store profile on the first store I went to. For that reason we'll start with Princeton, even though it makes me tell the days events out of order.

The Princeton Record Exchange was always the store that was a rare treat for me when I was younger. It was easily the store that was furthest away from me, but was still within range to get to. It took an hour each way driving commitment; so we didn't get out there a lot. What Princeton was great for then (and maybe still now but I don't go in that section as much anymore) was used CDs. They were so cheap and so plentiful. I can only assume they were siphoning promos from the local campus radio station like crazy as everything was pretty current too.

These days my record buying budget isn't as tight as it was in college, so I tend to stay in the area of the store where my heart truly lies; the vinyl section. They have a really strong selection. A little something of everything. I'm always surprised by the smaller niche bands they manage to stock. I will say that they have always been terrible about 7"s, there's almost none in the entire store, but for LPs they are absolutely worth the trip down.

For Record Store Day 2013, they were the 2nd store we went to. We got there at 9:30am (store opens at 10:00) and were pretty far back in line. I would say there were probably 100 - 150 people ahead of us, but I'm not great at judging the size of a crowd. What I will say is this, Princeton Record Store is terrible at managing Record Store Day.

Rather than keep all of the records behind a counter and get people what they want, they literally make people stand at one end of their Record Store Day section and go down the aisle row by row. You have to flip through every single record to pick out the titles that you want. As you can imagine, this makes the line take FOREVER. Though I was lucky and The Thermals 7" I was waiting in line for all that time was still around by the time I got my turn, it's really just insane to make people get their records in this manner. We arrived at 9:30 and didn't get out of there until nearly 2. Again, I realize there were a lot of people in line, but I think you could have gotten everyone out much quicker if the staff (who are very, very nice) were given more control of the situation.

The line at Vintage Vinyl about an hour before the store opened

Much, much earlier, the day started off at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ. We arrived at 3:30am (store opened at 8:00) and there were already about 15 people in line ahead of us. Frankly, I was shocked there were that many. I figured at worst we'd be 5 or 6 people back that early. We spent the next 4 and a half hours being cold, hungry and trying to figure out if the 15 people ahead of us were also there primarily for the Rocket From The Crypt records. About an hour before go time a TV crew from TV Tokyo showed up and started interviewing people in line. They also ended up in the store, recording some footage there as well.

Once the store opened, they moved at a pretty brisk pace. You give them your list they retrieve your records. Except they really don't do a good job with your list, plus random records aren't behind the counter, they are on a little display stand opposite the counter behind everyone in line. As soon as I walked in the door I saw the 2 RFTC reissues on this rack and bolted over to them. Luckily I got them, but I don't know that I would have if a couple of the people in line ahead of me were paying more attention to the layout of the store.

Once I handed my list in, I had to keep giving it back to them 3 more times as they didn't give me everything on my list after they went through it the first time. I understand they are busy and are trying to move quick, but I had been waiting outside their store for almost 5 hours, the least they could do is make sure I get everything on my list that was actually in stock. I got most of what I wanted except for the Thermals 7" (Vintage didn't get any, but I got that at Princeton) and the Superchunk 7" that the guy in front of me got the very last copy of (Luckily a friend in Philly picked me up a copy of that though - Thanks!).

All in all, despite minor organizational gripes with my stores, I had an amazing time at Record Store Day. Money was spent, records were bought and I took part in a little network of like minded friends across the country & overseas that were all helping each other get the records they wanted (#TeamSwami). I have the nicest, most patient wife in the world and I have a big stack of records to write about in the upcoming weeks; with more on their way from various friends. Can't wait until next year!

Record Store Day Eve - 2013

Rather than write up about a record I've bought recently (and also because I keep turning around to watch the news and can't concentrate on anything enough to review it this morning), I figured it might be interesting to write just a little bit about my excitement for Record Store Day tomorrow.  Considering how I almost didn't care at all last year, I'm pretty excited this time out.  Last year I went in the middle of the day and bought 2 records.  This year I'm lining up in the morning before the store opens and have a list of fun things to grab. Also this year, I'm in communication with a group of other people around the country and we're sharing lists and trying to help each other out  (#TeamSwami).  All in all, I think it's going to be a fun day.

I plan on starting up at Vintage Vinyl in Fords NJ.  Not sure how early I'll be lining up, but certainly before they open.  They'll be opening early enough where, as long as I get in and out quickly, I should be able to hit up a 2nd store after that.  Store number 2 will be the Princeton Record Exchange, which is in Princeton (no shock there).  I've only been to Princeton for Record Store Day once previously, but it was later in the morning after their stock had been picked pretty clean.  I'm hopeful there will be more variety this time out.

As far as records go, there's a lot to buy, that's for sure.  First and foremost are the 2 Rocket From The Crypt LP reissues, Group Sounds & Live From Camp X-Ray.  From the picture I've seen, some pretty awesome looking colored vinyl.  Other record I'm hopeful to find include the Giant Henry LP (Pre-Unwound), Superchunk 7", Thermals 7", Zombies LP and the elusive yearly Trouble In Mind compilation 7".  That's not everything, but it's what I'm most excited for.

I'll be posting a lot on twitter during the day, so follow along if you are interested or avoid me like the plague if you are not.  Then I'll have quite a few more records to write about in the upcoming weeks, and that's always a fun thing.

Office Of Future Plans / Daria - Split 7" - Red Vinyl (/100)

Office Of The Future Plans / Daria - Split 7" - Red Vinyl (/100), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Lovitt (2013)

Split 7" between Office Of Future Plans (w/ J Robbins of Jawbox/Burning Airlines fame) and Daria (A band from France that I'd never heard of before). This 7" has a song by each band and includes a digital download with 2 extra songs by each band. I hate digital only bonus songs, the practice of doing this just drives me nuts. As silly as it sounds, I'd almost prefer the songs not exist. OK, even I'll admit that sounds pretty stupid actually typing that sentence out, but I really wish all 6 songs were available on vinyl. A 10" perhaps?

Anyway, the Office of Future Plans songs are all pretty good. Nothing as good as what's on their full length (which, though I haven't picked up yet, I have listened to and is on my post-record store day to buy list). They're a bit slower in tempo than I favor, but the last song (MP3 only) 24 Doors (a Rifle Sport cover) is a bit louder and probably my favorite of the bunch.

As noted earlier, I was unfamiliar with Daria going into this 7" and they're done a good job of impressing me. I definitely hear influence of the 90's angular DC sound, but it's still pretty upbeat & has strong catchy choruses. Makes for interesting songs and I think I need to track down one of the band's 3 records to try out some more. Plus they cover a Leatherface song (MP3 only) so that will earn some points from me as well.

Office Of Future Plans / Daria - Split 7":
lovitt.bandcamp.com/album/split-7

BOAT - Pretend To Be Brave LP - Red, Yellow & White Tri Color Vinyl

BOAT - Pretend To Be Brave LP - Red, Yellow & White Tri Color Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Magic Marker (2013)

As soon as I had heard that BOAT was putting out a new record this year, I was counting down the days. The pre-order went up in the middle of the night, so I woke up at 4am just to make sure I could get my order in right away. While it probably was unnecessary to get up that early (as the most limited package was still available a few days later), there was no way I was going to miss out on this record.

BOAT plays 90's style indie rock better than anyone on the planet right now. Every note, every melody, every lyric phrase just takes me back to when I was in high school & college where there was great music hiding around every corner. Pretend to be Brave is yet another triumph from a band that I really fell in love with when they released their last album, Dress Like Your Idols.

Despite having a song with the lyrics "On the day that I turn 33/I'll be eating nachos but it won't be with my mom/It will be with you" I would say this album is quite a bit less wacky than BOAT's last. The vibe of Pretend To Be Brave is a bit more serious; maybe a bit more focused. The songwriting is sharper, though you could make an argument that the band doesn't sound like they're having quite as much fun as they did last time out. But really, that's not even a complaint or a criticism; it's just a difference between the 2 records. Pretend to Be Brave is outstanding and one of the very best albums to come out in 2013 so far.

Also, the first 100 copies bought direct from Magic Marker came with a cassette of other bands covering this entire album called Pretend to be BOAT. I just borrowed a working tape deck (mine broke about 8 months ago) so I could listen to the cassette. I'll post a separate review of it in the coming weeks.

Boat - Sharpshooters:
soundcloud.com/boat-3/sharpshooters

Wavves - Afraid Of Heights LP - White w/ Splatter Vinyl (/500)

Wavves - Afraid Of Heights LP - White w/ Splatter Vinyl (/500), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Rodeo/Mom+Pop/Warner Bros (2013)

Wavves is a band that caught my ear with their last album. The crunchy guitar, loud choruses and generally catchy music appealed to this pop kid for sure. Their latest Afraid Of Heights album now has the influence of a major label behind them, but apparently that doesn't really mean anything like it did in the 90's; Wavves still sounds like the same fuzzy pop band to me. Which is a good thing.

I will say that this new Wavves album is remarkably similar to their last, King Of The Beach, to me. I'm never a fan of bands abandoning their signature sound to explore new frontiers; however there a few songs on this that seem to have the exact same chords as songs from the last album. A little more variety probably would have made the album a bit more interesting, though I suppose you could make the argument that there are a handful of slower songs this time out.

If anything, that's what's holding me back from truly gushing about this record; it's really, really similar to King Of The Beach and doesn't come off quite as fresh and exciting as the last one did. That being said, it is a great record and the splatter variant that I have is an especially neat looking slab of vinyl. It's also pretty funny seeing the Parental Advisory sticker on a record. I haven't seen one of those in a long, long time.

Wavves - Sail To The Sun:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfPNbZB6PvM

Wavves - Demon To Lean On:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBuBQz90E5E

Wavves - Afraid Of Heights:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQSxRisWN24

Flop - World Of Today 10" - White Vinyl

Flop - World Of Today 10", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Frontier / Munster (1995)

I'll admit that of the 3 Flop albums, this is the one I am most unfamiliar with. While & The Fall Of The Mopsqueezer and Whenever You're Ready were kings of the CD used bins back in the 90's, this is one I never saw with much regularity. The 10" was something I never had until quite recently; amazingly bought direct from the label all these years later.

It's a great record. Most everything Flop did was aces in my book and this album is no exception. I will say that it seems weird to try to fit all of these songs on a 10", it sounds like the songs unnaturally bleed into each other. I need to really compare it to the CD version, I might just be going crazy. Couldn't find any of these songs online to share unfortunately, but it's more of the big, catchy guitar pop that few bands could pull off as good as Flop.

Suspicious Beasts - Used To Be Beautiful LP

Suspicious Beasts - Used To Be Beautiful LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Black Hole (2012)

Another pick up from Japan courtesy of my friend Yuki. When I heard about this band which featured ex members of Three Minute Movie, Blotto & The Urchin, I knew I had to add it to my collection immediately. Unfortunately it was proving difficult to order online; but I'm very lucky to have a friend that can make the occasional trip to a record store in Japan for me.

Suspicious Beasts definitely use the influences of each member's prior band as a jumping off point, but they definitely lean towards a more rootsy style of rock and roll. If you are into bands like The Mojomatics, Nude Beach or the twangier moments of Your Pest Band; this Suspicious Beasts LP should probably be on your shopping list. The 7 songs fly by fast, but I really enjoyed the album and am hopeful the band will have many more records for me to hunt down in the future.

Suspicious Beasts - Used To Be Beautiful LP:
blackholekuroiana.bandcamp.com/album/used-to-be-beautiful

Youthbitch - I'm In Love With Girls 7"

Youthbitch - I'm In Love With Girls 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Dirtnap (2013)

If a record comes out on Dirtnap, I'm pretty much always going to buy it. Looking back I think I've only skipped 1 Dirtnap release in the last 5 years or so. When this 7" went up for sale at the same time as the new Steve Adamyk Band LP, it was a no brainer to add to cart.

I'm not really a fan of the band's name, and frankly that might have predjudiced me a bit when I put this on for the first time. My first gut reaction was that I didn't like the vocals, which come from a Nobunny high pitched fuzzy territory. Musically the band sounds really tight and they're playing some catchy tunes.

As I went through the 3 song on this 7", I did like each one better than the last and towards the end the vocals didn't bother me as much as I thought they would. I wouldn't consider this a top tier, must have 7", but it's pretty good and worth picking up. If you do like bands like Nobunny or Hunx (I'm not a fan really), then I think this would be more up your alley and should be grabbed right away.

Youthbitch - I'm In Love With Girls 7"
dirtnaprecords.bandcamp.com/album/youthbitch-im-in-love-w...

Off With Their Heads - Home LP - Blue Vinyl (/700)

Off With Their Heads - Home LP - Blue Vinyl (/700), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Epitaph (2013)

Off With Their Heads is a band that I got the heads up on pretty early in their career. That was a good thing as they have been one of the most prolific punk rock bands I've come across in a while, just releasing scores of limited 7"s. That frantic pace has slowed up a little since they signed to Epitaph a few years ago, but it would sure be an intimidating task to try to start collecting all of their records now.

Unfortunately for some record collectors, Home is the type of record that will inspire many new fans to start hunting for all of these records. It's just that good. Everything that Off With Their Heads has been doing up to this point really culminates in Home, arguably the best record they have ever released. The songs are still undeniably punk rock, but with a more refined edge to the songwriting.

While the band has always had a knack for energetic music mixed with lyrics that are honestly kind of a bummer, Home really elevates this. Where before you might write off this formula as playing for irony, this record just has an air about it that just feels important; like the band really has something to say. It makes for a record that has staying power and warrants repeat listens. There is a lot of disposable music in the world these days, but off With Their Heads have crafted the kind of album that is meant to last.

I can't say enough good things about Home. It's overtaken From The Bottom as my favorite Off With Their Heads release and it's the kind of album that should make many more people sit up and pay attention to this band. I'm just glad I already have all their old 7"s; that quest is about to get messy for some people.

Off With Their Heads - Home:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcZMZxR9uxC_cMRcfMgqpOh7U8...

Superchunk - I Hate History 7" - Pink Vinyl

Superchunk - I Hate History 7" - Pink Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Matador (2013)

This 7" is only available as part of the Matador single subscription. It's expensive, but honestly, once you put a Superchunk 7" in the mix, there's simply no way I'm not going to buy it. Really skewed my record buying budget earlier in the year, but so be it, I need to keep my Superchunk collection complete.

We have 1 new Superchunk song called "I Hate History." It's a punchy mid tempo song that is very much in line with the type of music the band has been cranking out lately. It would absolutely fit in just fine on their last album, and hopefully it's a sign of more great songs to come.

The B-side is a short cover of a SS Decontrol song called "Glue." I can't say that I'm a particularly big fan of older hardcore stuff, and after youtubing the original, I'm not surprised I hadn't heard it before. For me, this Superchunk cover is just kind of a throwaway, but I do dig the A-side quite a bit.

The Windowsill - S/T LP

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

Stardumb (2011)

This is a record that I had wanted to grab for a while, but never could find it domestically. I just couldn't bring myself to pay the overseas shipping and get murdered on the exchange rate. There are records I will go that for in a heartbeat, but I just wasn't willing to commit to The Windowsill. Well, one finally became available in the US, and I'm glad it did.

The Windowsill play some nice straightforward pop. It tends to run mid tempo, with a real emphasis on hooks and harmonies. It actually reminds me a lot of the Hospital Job LP from late last year, but I think it's missing a little bit of the driving rhythm section that made the Hospital Job LP such a stand out.

I thoroughly enjoy this album and would definitely recommend grabbing the LP.  Though, I will still say, I'm not sure it's the kind of album worth importing.  As I write this review, you can still get it from a US distro at moosterrecords.bigcartel.com/product/the-windowsill-s-t-1... and it's definitely worth grabbing for $10.

The Windowsill - S/T LP:
mermanrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-windowsill

Calvinball / Rumspringer / Mayflower / Dauntless Elite - 4 Way Split 7"- Blue Vinyl (/500)

Calvinball / Rumspringer / Mayflower / Dauntless Elite - 4 Way Split 7" - Blue Vinyl (/500), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Not Shy Of The DIY (2011)

First off, this write up is the start of a test of cross posting some of these pictures to Instagram (username: TimPopKid). I can't quite figure out all of the little easy cross-posting details, so if this begins to be a pain in the neck, Instagram is getting the ax. Plus the write up will only be on the website, I do not have the patience to type all of this this out on my phone. Lastly, I took the photo of this record a few times and I think it looks kind of bad & fuzzy. Right now I'm blaming it on having to take the picture from far enough away to accommodate Instagram's need to have a perfectly square photo. Again, first time going through, I find it all annoying. I will give it at least a week before I make a final judgment.

OK, so this record crept up on me, and I had no idea it had been out for nearly 2 years. I stumbled across it in a distro when I was picking up something else and there's no way I'm passing up anything with a Rumspringer song on it. Said song is great as usual and I cannot wait for their new album coming out this year.

The other 3 bands also put forth some strong songs in the melodic, gruff vocal, Dillinger Four-ish punk vein. I was previously familiar with Calvinball & Dauntless Elite, having other 7"s by both bands. Mayflower was new to me and really impressed with the super catchy sing along chorus of their song. I'm going to have make a note to check out more of their records.

Calvinball / Rumspringer / Mayflower / Dauntless Elite - 4 Way Split 7":
notshyofthediy.bandcamp.com/album/boozehounds-7

Forgetters - S/T LP

Forgetters - S/T LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Too Small To Fail (2012)

I've been sitting on this record for a few months now, trying to figure out what to say about it. On one hand it is approximately 10,000 times better than anything ever released by Jets To Brazil, but at it's best, this record isn't 1/4 as good as Jawbreaker. I know it's not fair to hold poor old Blake to such a high standard these days. Jawbreaker broke up so long ago that I can't imagine how he could possibly be in the same mindset to write songs like those again. But I just can't let go of those records.

Everything Blake does these days just seems moody and ultra serious. Nothing he is doing strikes me as being much fun. The songs on this record are pretty down, for the most part, which isn't inherently a bad thing, but it kind of leaves a cloud hanging over the record. Musically, it's much more straightforward that Jets were; a huge positive, but it never really gets catchy enough to keep my attention.

Even during the albums best moments, when the music is up, the band sounds tight and rock seems likely to commence, Blakes sing-songy vocals tend to steer the song dangerously close to sounding like "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch." It probably sounds like I don't like this record, which isn't true, it is a good unoffensive change of pace record to throw on every so often. The problem is I've been waiting 18 years to be wowed by a Blake band again. Unfortunately, I'm still waiting.

Forgetters - I'm Not Immune:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdiD1w9CcIk

Forgetters - Ribbonhead:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuNdhTBwbA0

The Steve Adamyk Band - Third LP - Black Vinyl & Blue Vinyl (/200)

The Steve Adamyk Band - Third LP - Black Vinyl & Blue Vinyl (/200), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Dirtnap (2013)

I'm actually very lucky and have had MP3s of this album since my birthday, so I've been blasting this since early December. While MP3s are certainly no substitute for being able to sit down in front of your turntable and really enjoy a record, it has given me some real quality time with this record prior to writing about it. I can only summarize with the following: I love this record.

I have been a huge fan of The Steve Adamyk Band every since I picked up their first 7", Speed It Up, from Ptrash records. Every record since then has been obsessively hunted down and listened to. Third is another in a very strong line. If you have heard this band before, chances are you are going to like the new record. This is a band that really believes in the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality. Certainly not to say it's a carbon copy of the prior records, but they all have the same jumping off point and if you were a fan before, I can't imagine not liking Third as well.

For the uninitiated, The Steve Adamyk band plays blazing chainsaw pop. Fast, energetic, catchy, wonderful pop music. The songs have big choruses and tons of backing vocal harmonies. My favorites tend to be the songs that are a tad bit slower than some of the others like "Eyes Of Ottawa," "Won't Let You Go" and the #1 hit of the bunch "Wait For Your Number." But then you've also got the super fast highlights like "Set It Up" and "Satellites" that just make me want to jump around and sing along at the top of my lungs like a madman. Even though at first Satellite seemed out of place when I first heard the record (since it had been previously released on a 7"), the more I listen to the entire album, the more it makes sense within the context of the whole album.

I really can't say enough good things about this record. Easily - EASILY - one of the very best albums of the year. Honestly, if it weren't for the Night Marchers record, I can't even fathom another record giving Third a run for its money for the #1 spot. However, my one complaint is we are now 3 albums into the career of this band and they STILL have not played in New Jersey or New York. This is a problem that simply must be addressed, can't wait anymore. #setitup

The Steve Adamyk Band - Third LP
dirtnaprecords.bandcamp.com/album/steve-adamyk-band-third

Lenguas Largas / Mind Spiders - Sister Series Double 7" - Red Vinyl

Lenguas Largas / Mind Spiders - Sister Series Double 7" - Red Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Razorcake (2013)

This isn't technically a double 7", it's actually available to buy as 2 separate 7"s if you want. But the 2 records go together, first in that each band covers a song by the other and 2nd because you can actually stick the 2 covers next to each other and end up with combined artwork. I know Razorcake has done this before, but I still think it's neat every time I see it.

Truthfully I bought this pretty much exclusively for the Mind Spiders. Lenguas Largas was a bonus and I was hopeful to be turned on to a new band. Unfortunately, the songs on this 7" just don't do anything for me. It's almost atmospheric punk. Lots of faint synthy ambient noise in the background. Breathy vocals buried in the mix, nothing that stands out. Even their Mind Spiders cover just falls flat for me.

For the Mind Spiders record, I was pretty nervous at first because the opening cut is their take on a Lenguas Largas song. It's very much in the vein of Jay Reatard and while it's totally fine, it's really nothing special. However, the other 2 songs on the 7" are stellar. Straightforward, Marked Men-ish punk pop. These 2 songs make the whole set worth it.

Lenguas Largas - Sister Series IV 7":
razorcake-records.bandcamp.com/album/sister-series-iv-7

Mind Spiders - Sister Series IV 7":
razorcake-records.bandcamp.com/album/sister-series-iv-7-2

Rocket From The Crypt - Rocket Pack 7" - Band Version - Pink Vinyl(#5/30)

Rocket From The Crypt - Rocket Pack 7" - Band Version - Pink Vinyl (#5/30), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Pusmort (1991)

Last night, at Bar Pink in San Diego, CA, Rocket From The Crypt played their first show since the 2005 Halloween RIP show. It was a secret warm up show in preparation for their Europe tour that starts on Tuesday in Germany. I didn't know about the Bar Pink show last night. I would have absolutely flown to San Diego for it if I did. I'm pretty bummed about missing it, but I'm hopeful that I will get to see them play again soon.

I decided to break my usual rule of only posting new records I buy, so I pulled this out of the archive. This is the pride and joy of my record collection. The #1 record, the crown jewel so to speak. This is my Rocket Pack 7". The even rarer band version that they only made 30 copies of. Even the normal version is pretty impossible to find as they only made 75 of those. I bought this record in 1996 for $325. At the time my friends said I was insane for spending that much on a record. The last time I saw one sell on eBay, it went for nearly $1000, so I'm pretty glad I grabbed this when I did.

Rocket From The Crypt is such an important band to me, they've been my favorite band since the mid 90's. I've seen them play live 25 times over the years, and we're actually creeping up on it being 20 years since the first show of theirs that I went to. I'm very excited they are playing again, and I'm very happy for my friends in San Diego that got to see the resurrection, but having been at their last show, I'm always going to be a little sad I wasn't able to be at their first show back. I hope they keep playing. I hope I get to see them play again. Long live the dead.

Impo & The Tents - Going To The Moon 7" - Pink Vinyl (/100)

Impo & The Tents - Going To The Moon 7" - Pink Vinyl (/100), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Ptrash (2012)

Despite the silly band name, Impo & The Tents sure have caught my attention in a good way with this 3 song 7". I picked it up for being part of the Ptrash club (which gives me access to rare versions of all of the records they put out, in this instance it scored me the pink vinyl version), but didn't really have any prior knowledge of the band. Now I'm digging around the internet, trying tto see if I can grab any of their other records domestically.

The band plays a poppy strain of garage rock, with fast herky jerky guitar riffs and high pitched vocals. The songs are so easy to listen to that they just whiz by. All three had me nodding my head and tapping my toe without me realizing I was even doing it. I love the garage bands that understand the value of a hook. So many bands are masking their songs in pretentious psych and noise, but Impo & The Tents are unabashedly pop. That's A-OK in my book.

Impo & The Tents - Going To The Moon 7":
impotents.bandcamp.com/releases.

Walt Mink - Miss Happiness LP

Walt Mink - Miss Happiness LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Quigley (1992)

After I got the recent Survival Knife 7", it prompted me to go back and listen to Unwound again. That got me thinking about my friend Pat from high school. Though I only speak to him once every couple of years these days, Pat has the distinction of being the only person from high school that I still speak to. Pat was my friend that listened to the punk & indie bands that most of my other friends didn't like (I say most of them, I'm just generalizing). Pat was the one that liked Unwound. Pat was the guy that got me into The Karl Hendricks Trio and another band I remember Pat liking was Walt Mink.

At the time, Walt Mink must not have done anything for me. Though I remember the name, I have no memory of what I thought of the band's music. I'm sure Pat must have played them for me, but I didn't care for it and then just moved on with my life. Since I've been re-listening to so many bands from the 90's that I missed out on the first go around, I figured it's time to give them a second shot.

This band is so quintessentially 90's. I almost don't know how else to describe it. The fuzzy treble heavy guitar riffs, tons of leads and solos, high pitched vocals that are borderline laid back and soothing at times. It's a pretty fun and dynamic record and I just can't imagine it being made at any other time. I haven't checked out any of their other records yet (No one wants to OD on Walt Mink), but I like this record more than enough to give the rest of their discography a try.

Walt Mink - Miss Happiness (YouTube playlist of the whole album):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhYpxqtWSSs&list=PLBc1-5rIaB5...

The Men - New Moon LP - Screened Cover (/350)

The Men - New Moon LP - Screened Cover (/350), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Sacred Bones (2013)

Last year the song "Open Your Heart" by The Men was one of the 2 or 3 best songs I heard all year. It was enough to make me pick up their 2012 full length. It was so good they I just had to hunt down the limited version of that album as well. The entire record was good, but I definitely gravitated towards their poppier fare. When I heard they were already putting out another full length, I was surprised about the quick turnaround, but anxious to hear more from the band.

New Moon is another move into a newer direction for the band. Definitely more pop in places and some really, really outstanding songs. It also marks the band pursuing some rootsy, country leaning songs that, for me, aren't as successful. I can't think of a single band that started drifting into country that stayed as good as the were when they were bringing the rock. That being said, The Men do it better than most.

At the end of the day, it's only a few songs and the vast majority of the album is even stronger than last years. There's no blow away hit for me like "Open Your Heart," but top to bottom it's a better record.

The limited to 350 copies version was only sold through the Sacred Bones website. It's the regular version of the album with an additional wrap around screened cover. I'm fairly confident that it's actually made of wallpaper or shelf lining paper. Something like that anyway, but it looks cool and I have seen other folks with different variants for this record. The one I have is certainly the most colorful and the one I like best, so that worked out for me.

The Men - Electric:
soundcloud.com/sacredbones/the-men-electric
The Men - I Saw Her Face:
soundcloud.com/sacredbones/the-men-i-saw-her-face

Heavy Vegetable / Powerdresser - Split 7" - Clear Vinyl

Heavy Vegetable / Powerdresser - Split 7" - Clear Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Goldenrod (1993)

Another 20 year old record. It's really nutty how fast time flies by. I'll have to say, at the time of release I really would have never been too into these bands. They're both pretty low tempo and quiet; no distortion or shouting. Probably wouldn't have been enough to get me excited back then. As the years have gone by I've grown an appreciation for some of the more mellow fare out there, so I decided to grab this 7" when i came across it in a used bin.

Heavy Vegetable is a pre-Pinback Rob Crow band and you can certainly see the similarities. Intricate guitars and what not, but I do think the song on this record lacks some of the hooks he was able to write in later years. Powerdresser is actually kind of similar, quite mellow, 90% instrumental, but a decent enough little song. Can't say I'll likely play this 7" much, but I'd probably stick the Heavy Vegetable song on a mixtape if I was still making those (which I'm not because cars don't have tape decks anymore...)

Your Pest Band - Smash Hits [2008 - 2011] LP

Your Pest Band - Smash Hits [2008 - 2011] LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Snuffy Smiles / Dead Broke (2013)

Singles compilation from one of my favorite current Japanese punk rockers; Your Pest Band. This LP compiles all of their 7"s, Split 7"s, compilation and cassette appearances. Being a big Snuffy Smiles nerd, I did have the bulk of the original records that make up this collection, but even I didn't have the songs on here from a split cassette the band did.

This band just exudes energy, nothing they do is done half way. They barrel through their songs, somehow playing everything with amazing precision, yet sounding like they could come off the rails at any second. It's a rare skill.

My picture is the Snuffy Smiles version sold in Japan (Thanks to my buddy Yuki for picking it up for me), but this was also released in America by Dead Broke Rekerds. The Dead Broke version has a different fancier cover that I do need to pick up, but I have a complete Snuffy Smiles vinyl collection that I need to keep complete. Considering how difficult it has been for me to keep track of Snuffy Smiles records over the year, it's great that if you're after the music, you can pick it up domestically from a label that's really been putting out some fantastic records.

Your Pest Band - Smash Hits [2008 - 2011] LP:
deadbrokerekerds.bandcamp.com/album/smash-hits-2008-2011

The Thermals - No Culture Icons 7"

The Thermals - No Culture Icons 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Sub Pop (2013)

Here's a little Saturday bonus. I know I don't usually post anything on Saturday, but this is just a brief extra. When you ordered any of the new Thermals reissues direct from Sub Pop, they also sent out a reissue of the 1st Thermals 7". 2 Tracks from More Parts Per Million and 2 unreleased. One of the unreleased is the song I think they should end every show with: Everything Thermals. It's the best song ever written that has a band's name in the song.

From what I read I think originally Sub Pop was going to send out 1 of these 7"s for each reissue bought. It's good they only sent me one, know clue what I would have done with 3 of these.

The Thermals - Everything Thermals (Live):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=34xc5pXqtFM

The Thermals - The Body The Blood The Machine LP - Orange Vinyl

The Thermals - The Body The Blood The Machine LP - Orange Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Sub Pop (2013)

The 3rd of the Thermals Sub Pop LPs up for reissue is The Body The Blood The Machine. This is the record that really seemed to garner them the attention that they deserved from the very beginning. This was the turning point where I started to notice a lot more people at their shows. Oddly, it's my least favorite record of theirs.

It's not to say it's bad, it's not at all. In fact some of the songs are downright amazing. My big beef with it is that this album seems to lack the punch of the first two. They were in flux as far as having a drummer went during this time and I think it cost them some of the energy and drive of the 1st two releases. Again, still a top notch record and it's actually improved with age for me.

The reissue, like the others, sounds great and I think they did a really nice job matching the vinyl color to the artwork for all 3 albums. It's good that these are back in print and anyone without them already in their collection really needs to rectify that problem. Even if you already had all 3 like I did, this is a band I deem 100% worthy of variant hunting.

The Thermals - Pillar Of Salt:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwgNMrs-i80&list=PLE1FC101EE0...

The Thermals - Power Doesn't Run On Nothing:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn0tynVsrTM&list=PLE1FC101EE0...

The Thermals - Fuckin A LP - Blue Vinyl

The Thermals - Fuckin A LP - Blue Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Sub Pop (2013)

This is the new reissue of the 2nd Thermals album on Sub Pop. Like the More Parts Per Million reissue it sounds and looks great, though I see no real difference in sound from my original pressing. But the vinyl looks really sharp and it's great that the record is finally back in print again for those that don't have the original.

I loved Fuckin A just as much as More Parts Per Million. I very clearly remember the very first time I heard it. Sitting in my apartment at the time that was in Jersey City, starting up the music and listen so intently. I was more than a little concerned that they'd let me down with their 2nd record, so many bands do, but Fuckin A hit it out of the park again.

The fidelity is a bit higher, but the songs are still loud, fast and angry. The hooks are incredible, but so unorthodox. There aren't a ton of bands that can pull off what The Thermals managed on their 1st two albums. Just like I said yesterday, this record also sounds just as incredible today as it did when I first heard it. Absolutely essential.

The Thermals - Our Trip:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2RKO6auWko

The Thermals - A Stare Like Yours:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2qgmRkjXPc

The Thermals - Forward:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl2wBIHqdKg

The Thermals - More Parts Per Million LP - Red Vinyl

The Thermals - More Parts Per Million LP - Red Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Sub Pop (2013)

When More Parts Per Million came out in 2003, I was doing radio promotion as my day job. We received a package of upcoming releases from Sub Pop and my co workers and I were going through them. Everything sounded OK to me, but nothing was really standing out. Until The Thermals came on. I was immediately drawn to the energy & intensity of their songs. What a lo fi pounding masterpiece of a record. I was completely floored.

The first time I saw The Thermals play was at the Mercury Lounge in NYC, they played to about 8 people, 4 of which were from my office. Back then they were a 4 piece with Hutch only singing. They were so, so great. I just lost it at these shows. I saw them play at MacRock, I saw them play at SXSW, I saw them play every single chance I could. They got better and better every time and the crowds got bigger and bigger as well.

It all started with More Parts Per Million for me. A record that sounds just as fresh and exciting as it did the first time I heard it. The new reissue on Sub Pop sounds great and looks fantastic. Sure, I've had the 1st pressing of the LP forever, but I'm just a sucker for colored vinyl, especially for a record that I love as much as I love this one. If you don't have this record you're a fool, they don't get much better.

The Thermals - No Culture Icons:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf5wlXR9q3c

The Thermals - I Know The Pattern:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpIJwhrhHCg

The Thermals - God Damn The Light:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=krqeCs26PkI

Spatula - Radio Helmet 7"

Spatula - Radio Helmet 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

The Now Sound (1994)

Spatula were kind of a middle of the road indie rock band for me. They came from that fertile Chapel Hill scene that spawned so many of my all time favorite bands that I guess it probably didn't do them any favors living in shadows that big. Spatula hang out on the more mellow side of the rock spectrum, though they can get loud and fuzzy when the need arises. The 3 songs on this 7" are all good, but not great. The A-side in particular kind of feels like it just goes on forever. I have another 7" of theirs, a split with a band called Evil Wiener that is much better, but this is still a nice trip back to the 90's.

Spatula - Radio Helmet:
vimeo.com/13763485

Jeffrey Novak - I Never Knew So Much 7" - Purple Vinyl

Jeffrey Novak - I Never Knew So Much 7" - Purple Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Matador (2013)

This 7" is the first installment of the Matador Records 2013 singles club. Limited to 700 subscriptions, this one on purple vinyl. There should be 11 more of these guys coming in and I'm especially keen on the next one due, which is a new Superchunk 7".

Jeffrey Novak is someone I was not particularly familiar with going into this series. The 2 songs on this single tend to veer into the dissonant guitar, kind of spoken word-y fare that reminds of Shellac a bit, but no where near as interesting. For my taste, it's a bit of a dud as far as the first release goes, but there are many bands coming in the future of this series that will be right up my alley. Sorry, couldn't find either song streaming.

Gleam Garden - Brilliant Nightmare CD

Gleam Garden - Brilliant Nightmare CD, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Perfect Music (2012)

I am very passionate about music and buying records. I truly love individual bands like Rocket From The Crypt, Snuff, Leatherface, Him Kerosene, Broccoli, Bum, Pavement and far too many more to attempt to name. There have been geographical regions that have produced so many great sounds; Ottawa is currently going through this. The UK punk from the mid 90's, San Diego has had it's moments. But there's no scene or area in the world that makes me love music more than the melodic punk that comes out of Japan. Based around the Snuffy Smiles label, there has just been amazing band after amazing band coming out of Japan for DECADES. I feel like I'll never truly be able to explain it, but these bands are just so exciting to me. One of these great bands is Gleam Garden.

They started out the way so many punk bands from Japan do, releasing 7"s on Snuffy Smiles records. Then they had a Mini CD LP a few years ago and finally they have a proper full length called Brilliant Nightmare. I'm not familiar with the label it's been released on, Perfect Music, but it seems probable that it's a large indie or maybe a major label subsidiary out in Japan. No matter what the label is, they've released a killer record.

If you like the sort of melodic punk that bands like Lovemen or Blew were pushing out in the 90's, this is a record for you. They're more melodic that some of their current counterparts and can just craft songs like nobody's business. Vocals come out in the sort of raspy Leatherface-ish yelp that I just love, but it never feels like you've being yelled out. The melodies pushed through that gruff delivery just carry the whole album.

The CD is a bit of a pain to get here in America and I want to give thanks to my pal Yuki from SP Records in Japan for helping me find a copy (Along with a bunch of other great records that I'll be taking pictures of soon). I've actually had MP3s of this album for a while, but I never feel like I truly own the record until I have that CD or LP in my hands. Speaking of which, some label out there really needs to step up to the plate and put this record out on vinyl. You'd be doing the world a great service.

Gleam Garden - This:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8tVas3naqA

Masked Intruder - First Offense 7" - Pink Vinyl (/250)

Masked Intruder - First Offense 7" - Pink Vinyl (/250), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Hang Up (2013)

This is the repress of the long out of print and obscenely in demand 1st 7" by the band Masked Intruder. I had the box set version of the first pressing (www.ibuywaytoomanyrecords.com/2012/04/masked-intruder-fir...) but was so innundated with offers to buy it, I eventually sold it this past January for $100. At the time I felt that was a pretty crazy amount to pay for the 4x7" set. that I paid $12 for Little did I know a month later people would start selling individual colors of the 1st press for $150 EACH on eBay. I don't regret the sale and again, made way more money on it than I think is warranted, but part of me really wonders how much the box set could have sold for.

Anyway, the reason I sold the set was because I knew a repress was coming out. I love collecting records and as you all know I'm a pretty big variant nerd, but don't and can't collect every variant for every single band I like. You've got to pick your battles and as much as I like Masked Intruder, they didn't quite make the nerd cut off. As per my last review, this 7" is still fun, but I still don't like the song "Stick Em Up." The pink vinyl version is sold out (and has already sold for truly stupid amounts of money on eBay), but last check the label still had the black vinyl version if you're looking.

Masked Intruder - First Offense:
hanguprecs.bandcamp.com/album/first-offense

Collision - Tiebreaker 7" - Yellow Vinyl

Collision - Tiebreaker 7" - Yellow Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Speedowax (2012)

I've had this 7" sitting around for a little bit. My buddy Rich from Speedowax records sent it to me along with a ton of Broccoli 7" variants that I bought from him. I kind of just let it sit because frankly, I've never had much luck with freebie stuff thrown into an order. Well, I've finally taken a listen and I've got to say, this may be the best freebie ever.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is the greatest record in the world, but considering how I came across it and my usual angry old man vibe, I'm just so pleasantly surprised. Collision play fast, really fast. They definitely lean towards bands like Lifetime on the pop punk scale. Though Lifetime was never one of my favorite bands, Collision play with catchy enthusiasm and I'm particularly caught by the vocals and how clean & strong they sound.

It's pretty nice to be surprised by a record like this. I encourage all labels to throw in some extra nonsense to check out when I buy something from them!

Collision - Tiebreaker 7":
wearecollision.bandcamp.com/album/four-songs-with-james-s...

Arms Aloft / Leagues Apart - Split 7" - Yellow Vinyl (/100)

Arms Aloft / Leagues Apart - Split 7" - Yellow Vinyl (/100), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

All In Vinyl (2012)

2nd 7" from the All In Vinyl 7"s series year 3. As mentioned before, I love subscription 7" series, getting to try out new bands, getting limited 7"s by bands you already like. It's just a good time. The yellow vinyl version of this particular 7" was limited to 100 copies and only available to subscribers. You can get a different color of vinyl just ordering the single 7" direct from the label if you want to get a copy on its own.

The 2 bands on here are both bands I'm not familiar with. They're both playing gruff, melodic pop. Considering the distance that separates the 2 bands it's actually quite remarkable that both sound so similar. They're the sort of bands that obviously find inspiration from the likes of Dillinger Four, The Lawrence Arms and to some extent Hot Water Music. Arms Aloft seem to be taking a more straight ahead approach to their punk while Leagues Apart are exploring bouncier guitar riffs and change-ups.

Both bands are good, but I don't know if I'm inspired enough to track down more records by either band.  I feel like if I saw another 7" by one of them in a distro while I was placing an order I'd take a shot at it, but we'll see when the time comes. Still, if bands playing this kind of punk rock is your cup of tea, I can't imagine you'd be disappointed with this 7".

Arms Aloft / Leagues Apart - Split 7"
soundcloud.com/allinvinyl/sets/arms-aloft-leagues-apart-s...

Green Day - Uno LP (Pink Vinyl), Dos LP (Blue Vinyl) & Tre LP (YellowVinyl)

Green Day - Uno LP (Pink Vinyl), Dos LP (Blue Vinyl) & Tre LP (Yellow Vinyl), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Reprise (2012/2013)

Green Day is still a band that I hold pretty near and dear to my heart. Despite the fact that they constantly have pushed the envelope into territory that I don't want to hear, I'll never completely be able to let go of the band that wrote "2000 Light Years Away." This 3LP set, released over a span of several months was billed as Green Day returning to form. After meandering with American Idiot and releasing the god awful 21st Century Breakdown, I was hopeful that Green Day would release an album with some pop-punk songs on it.

In general, they succeeded. Over the course of these 3 albums are some of the best songs that the band has released in over a decade. Unfortunately they also contain some of the worse. Each record was presented under the guise that they would represent different styles of music. These differences are subtle at best. I can't see any sort of thematic element that differentiates one from the other. I'm not sure the band does either as they moved one of the songs "Drama Queen" from the 2nd album to the 3rd album during production. The CD and Digital buyers saw that change. On vinyl, you get the song twice, once on Dos and once on Tre. Plus the song Stray Heart is omitted completely.

What really strikes me on these records are the lyrics and how terrible they are in places. I can't understand why Billie Joe would need to write so many songs just littered with swearing. It's not clever and the last thing I really want to hear is a 73 year old (or however old Billie Joe is these days) singing about how it's "Fuck Time." Their lyrics were not this juvenile 20 years ago,

Hot Topic (I know, I know) was the only place you could pick up the colored vinyl variants of these records. Uno and Dos were limited to 1500 copies. Tre was limited to 1000. If you can say the words limited in the same sentence as a pressing run that large.

You really could cobble together the best Green Day record in an age by plucking the best off of each album for a greatest hits deal. But the sheer amount of songs over these 3 albums makes it impossible to not have an awful lot of filler (or a lot of awful filler, either works). Green Day works best when they're cranking out simple pop-punk. Their constant desire to do something epic and sprawling is what's keeping them from being that band that I'm still trying to hold dear.

Survival Knife - Traces Of Me 7"

Survival Knife - Traces Of Me, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Sub Pop (2013)

In the early 90's I was really into the noisy indie rock scene that was kicking around the northwest. You could have checked my collection and found records by bands like Fitz Of Depresiion, Karp & godheadSilo. What you would have also found is a handful of Unwound records. As I got older, I tended to drift towards the poppier side of things and so many of those bands imploded that it was just time to move on. Some of those records I look back at and wonder what was I thinking.

Recently I've be relistening to Unwound; those are records that have held up pretty well. It's a shame I pruned a lot of them from the collection many moons ago. They're going to have their catalog reissued soon, and I will definitely be picking up their early albums again. That brings us to Survival Knife, featuring ex members of Unwound.

Unwound was a band that I liked less as their records progressed. They got less noisy, less edgy and more atmospheric. Not my cup of tea. Survival Knife takes a welcome step backwards and serves up 2 songs of noisy, crunchy indie rock. This is the type of stuff I miss from Unwound. Though there's a darker dissonant vibe, they really manage to sneak a few hidden hooks in there as well. A strong debut and I'm eager to hear more.

Survival Knife - Traces of Me (Live):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy60k7MwiNo

Survival Knife: Name That Tune:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs4Ahxj1-aI

Adam Widener - Gimmee Gimmee Scientific Stuff 7" - Red/Blue Split ColorVinyl

Adam Widener - Gimmee Gimmee Scientific Stuff 7" - Red/Blue Split Color Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Sexy Baby (2012)

Full disclosure, this is the very first record that someone has ever sent me just to review on this website. I've had quite a few people ask in the past, but no one ever followed through before, so cheers Adam. This is Adam Widener's 2nd 7" from what I can gather.  Prior to this he served time in a band I was quite fond of; Bare Wires. Widener's solo work has him dabbling in the lower-fi, bedroom power pop world, with strong results.

Immediately, I think that this is the type of record bound to appeal to fans of other treble merchants like Nobunny or Shannon & The Clams. The songs are tight, with high pitched distorted vocals. Me personally, I could use a bit more bass to the equation, but the songs are strong enough to hold up without the increased low end.

The packaging would have been one of the coolest things I'd seen in a while if it had just worked out a bit differently. 3D cover with Red/Blue translucent vinyl. The plan was to be able to look through the record and see the 3D cover. Sadly the vinyl is just a bit too opaque, but still a pretty clever idea that was worth taking a shot at.

Adam Widener - Gimmee Gimmee Scientific Stuff 7":
sexybabyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/gimmee-gimmee-scientif...

Stay Clean Jolene - Green 7"

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

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

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

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

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