Cheap Wine - S/T LP - White Vinyl (/100)

Drunken Sailor (2017)

As soon as I heard about this new band comprised of Jordy (Creeps, Crusades), Eric (Feral Trash) and Steve (Steve Adamyk Band), there wouldn't be a way you could have stopped me from buying it.  With a pedigree like that, you can easily set yourself up for disappointment by expecting too much.  Luckily, Cheap Whine delivers and then some.

You hear the term power pop thrown around a lot.  Often times it ends up being used on bands who are snotty garage bands missing the pop or bands that are severely laking in the power category.  Cheap Whine suffers none of this.  They songs are all blistering with the sort of energy that I go crazy for, but they never sacrifice the hooks or the wonderful poppy choruses.  In a lot of ways, they remind me of The Marked Men, but with cleaner vocals.

Just pop on any one of the album's myriad of hits.  Try out the full blown downstroke madness of "Fall" or "Kasumi."  Or the slightly more melodic, but equally powerful "A Little Change" or "Best Times."  The entire album is just a blast from start to finish.  Cheap Whine doesn't really sound like and of the members other bands, but they have a close enough vibe and are drawing from similar influences that it would seem like madness to like Steve Adamyk Band but not Cheap Whine.  Put simply; it's a hell of a record.

Cheap Whine - S/T:

https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/cheap-whine-st

Midnight Reruns - Spectator Sports LP

Dusty Medical (2017)

This is another album I picked up based off of a review that was written about it in Razorcake.  The writer compared them to Tenement and that was enough to warrant a listen.  Also, since I knew of the label Dusty Medical from their prior releases of bands like Goodnight Loving and Midwestern Beat, I figured it would probably be a safe pickup.

Having listened to this album pretty nonstop since receiving it in the mail, I can confirm that Tenement is a very accurate comparison for Midnight Reruns.  Though Midnight Reruns certainly leans towards the mold of early, straightforward poppy Tenement with much more emphasis on hooks and catchy choruses than the intricate soundscapes that Tenement has been moving towards more recently.  

While Midnight Reruns doesn't have the sort of blistering Dinosaur Jr. style guitar solos, they absolutely know how to work with interesting riffs and super catchy vocal melodies.  In particular, "Hold Up The Mirror" is just a smash hit with a chorus that's been stuck in my head for weeks.  Even though two instrumentals, "Celebrity Lawyers" and "Concourse C,"is a bit much, they don't really slow down the album too badly.  At the end of the day, this is definitely an album worth checking out.

Midnight Reruns - Spectator Sports:

https://midnightreruns.bandcamp.com/album/spectator-sports

The Blues Brothers - Soul Man 7" (Germany)

Atlantic (1979)

Continuing through Blues Brothers picture sleeve 7"s, we come to the German version of Soul Man.  Like many others, the basic artwork for this is a modified version of the album art from the Briefcase Full of Blues full length.  This time it's cropped into a close up.  The back art is kind of weird as it isn't Blues Brothers related at all, it's just an ad for some other albums by artists like Rod Stewart and AC/DC.

As much as I wish each 7" had completely unique artwork, this particular version is probably my favorite that uses the Briefcase artwork as its base.  As far as the songs go, this 7" has the same B side as most of the others, "Excusez Moi Mon Cherie."  It's kind of funny to me that the one Blues Brothers song I didn't know about until I was an adult actually appeared on so many different releases.

I only have a few more Soul Man 7"s left, then it's on to some other songs.

Blues Brothers - "Soul Man":

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

Blues Brothers - "Excusez Moi Mon Cherie":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcGQ36B_yrI

Thirsty Chords - I Continue I... CD

Shirafu (2009)

Sorry there wasn't a review yesterday.  I wasn't feeling well and needed to skip a day for some extra sleep.  Much better now though.  Thirsty Chords is one of these great Japanese punk rock bands that I somehow have been neglecting over the past few years.  To think, this record came out all the way back in 2009 and I've just heard of them this year.  Shame on me.  It was when I was looking up more information about the band Bows that I kept seeing Thirsty Chords mentioned and I figured I should probably check them out.

I Continue I... is the band's first album, but they've arrived fully formed and have put together the sort of debut that other bands would kill for.  Thirsty Chords are playing the sort of punchy and energetic punk rock that I expect to here from bands like Minority Blues band or others of that persuasion that would call Snuffy Smiles home.  The key for me are the strong, melodic vocals that have passion but don't dissolve into unnecessary screaming.

The guitar is fast paced and so dynamic it's hard to believe this is a three piece band.  Combine that with a drummer that's just killing his kit and piles of catchy hooks and you've got a band that's ticking all the boxes as far as what I'm looking for in punk rock.  Unfortunately, I can't find any of the songs from this album online, so you'll kind of have to take my word on how good it is.  If you go to YouTube and search for Thirsty Chords, it'll pull up some live footage.  I think that will be enough to show you what a great band this is.  And the album is even better than those live clips.

Rail - Luke & Lauraland 7"

Red Dawg (1995)

Rail is one of those bands that has been existing in the background of my life for decades.  Every five years or so I stumble across another one of their records, spend some time trying to figure out if it's the correct Rail and then adding it to the collection.  This 7" was bought as part of a larger lot of older records I picked up on Discogs.  I think it was a dollar and that was a dollar well spent.

Things start off with the more melodic and, frankly, emo leaning "Reconsider."  It's a mellower start to the EP and kind of stands apart from the other three.  By the time we get to "Cheerleader on Prozak,"  you can start to see the bouncy, Superchunk style energy that Rail possess.  They have a knack for taking a truly rough and fuzzy recording and making it work to their favor.  It sounds like a time capsule of the mid 90's, when it seemed like every band that picked up a guitar had a hit up their sleeve.

On the B side, we have probably the highlight of the 7", "Tickin."  This is just a blast of hooks, catchy singalongs and buzzsaw chord progressions.  Just a great song. Finally we close out with the title track "Luke & Lauraland."  This one may be the most Superchunkian of all, with its lower key verse and giant anthemic chorus.  This is one of the better Rail 7"s I've picked up.  I think I only need one more of them at this point, but who knows.  I always seem to stumble across these guys when I least expect it.

Rail - Luke & Lauraland 7":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaYaGePaJm0

Fifteen - Liberation 7" - Yellow Vinyl (/100)

Dead Broke (2017, Reissue)

In the never ending quest for punk points and the desire to know everything, even the craziest of us often fall short.  I'm embarrassingly unfamiliar with Fifteen.  While I freely worship at the church of Crimpshrine, for one reason or another, I never picked up on Fifteen during those formative punk rock years when I was younger.  I think in the 90's there were certainly less resources to buy everything I may have wanted to check out, either from lack of availability or (much more likely) limited funds to chase everything down with.

So we come to 2017.  Dead Broke Records has started to rerelease some Fifteen records, starting out with a 7" and an EP.  I guess now is as good a time as any to jump in.  I have to say, while I enjoy this 7", it's not the sort of mind blowing revelation as when I rediscovered Seaweed in my mid thirties.  Not that the bands are occupying the same sort of sonic space or anything, but when I started listening to Seaweed I was so utterly knocked out with how fresh and powerful those records were.  With Fifteen, I'm not quite as wowed.

Frankly, all four songs on this 7" sound a little old and somewhat dated.  There's definitely a sound from the late 80's and early 90's that sort of stayed there.  That's not good or bad, it's just one of those things, sort of how it's impossible to not think Promise Ring records sound a hundred years old now (again, not that Promise Ring sounds anything like Fifteen either).  Anyway, in comparison to Crimpshrine, Fifteen take a much more subdued approach to everything.  In some ways, I feel that more emphasis is placed on the lyrics and this is certainly a band with something important to say.  Musically things are a bit sparse and I never completely feel the sort of fury and energy that I'd get from Crimpshrine.  And I get it, Fifteen is not Crimpshrine. Sometimes it's just hard to separate bands like this from each other.

I like the songs on this 7", I guess I just don't love them.  I've got an LP from Dead Broke that I'm going through as well.  While I'm absolutely not giving up on going through more Fifteen releases, I guess I was just expecting something a little louder.  Still, I'm glad that these records are more readily available to give a few other dinosaurs like me a chance to check out something we missed the first time around.

Fifteen - Liberation 7":

https://deadbrokerekerds.bandcamp.com/album/fifteen

30 Amp Fuse - Wind Up CD

Darla (1995)

While discussing Alligator Gun with some friends last night, I remarked that the one time I got to see them play, they were opening up for 30 Amp Fuse.  I've had the second 30 Amp Fuse album, Saturday Night At The Atomic Speedway, since before it had even come out.  I was sent a copy of it in advance when I was writing at my college newspaper in 1997.  I was immediately taken with it and sure played the heck out of it back then.  For whatever reason, I wasn't able to track down (or just didn't have the money for) the first 30 Amp Fuse record, Wind Up.  As a friend pruned his collection a few months ago, I took that opportunity to add this to the collection.

I've had the opening track on this album as a song on a 7" for decades.  "Sorry" still holds up every bit as good today and it's probably the highlight of this album.  However, this is an album full of some catchy, pop leaning punk rock songs.  You can hear similarities to other crunchy guitar bands of the era like Pollen (especially with the gruff vocals) or Overwhelming Colorfast (with their mastery of a catchy hook).  30 Amp Fuse isn't afraid to put their foot on the gas and blast things off a bit faster like the sugar fueled "St. Patty's Day" which just races through with a nonstop blast of roaring guitar.

A fun little tidbit is that John Davis (bass) and Don Coffey Jr. (drums), who would later become much more renown for their next band Superdrag, got their start on this 30 Amp Fuse record.  But this is really the show of guitarist and singer Mike Smithers and it's a pretty good show.  While poking around the internet a bit, I realized two things about 30 Amp Fuse.  The first is that it doesn't look like I have  Saturday Night At The Atomic Speedway on vinyl, so I'm going to need to correct that oversight.  The second is that 30 Amp Fuse had a third album in 1998 that I never even knew existed.  I'm going to have to take a look for that one as well.

30 Amp Fuse - "Sorry":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S58tW0ZTS7A

30 Amp Fuse - "St. Patty's Day":

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

30 Amp Fuse - "Everclear":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRoi8D0Q_mE

The Hum Hums - Teenage Loser CD

Waterslide (2013)

As I've mentioned (probably to the point that you're sick of reading about it by now), the Waterslide/PopKid show in Tokyo was not only one of the highlights of my trip to Japan, but it was one of the best nights of my life.  Of the bands that played that show, the only band that I was very familiar with beforehand was The Hum Hums.  I had already had their fantastic second album Back To Front and was so happy to hear they were every bit as good live as they were on that record.

Since I didn't have their first album, I had to pick up Teenage Loser when I got home.  I've spent a lot of time with this one and I can say without question, it's also pretty damn great.  I think I can safely say that The Hums Hums probably have the best vocal harmonies in all of punk rock.  We're talking perfect Beach Boys style backing vocals that bring you into the song and get stuck in your head for days on end.  These vocals and the band's uncanny knack for bubblegum pop punk hooks really make The Hum Hums something special.

I think I like their second album a little bit better.  It's slightly more dynamic and you can tell that as songwriters they definitely grew from the first.  But Teenage Loser is no second fiddle album, it's a stellar collection of pop hits and I consider myself very lucky that I was able to see them play in Japan.  I hope I can see them again someday, but for now I'll just have to keep listening to their records nonstop.

The Hum Hums - Teenage Loser:

https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/album/teenange-loser

A Giant Dog - Toy LP - Red Vinyl

Merge (2017)

Toy is the fourth record that A Giant Dog has released and it's the third one of theirs that I have picked up.  Each time I buy one of their albums I think that I should go back and pick up their debut, but for some reason, I just never seem to remember to do that.  Maybe this time I'll actually do it because for the third time in a row, I'm pretty bowled over by a record from this band.

A Giant Dog has this way of combining power pop and catchy hooks, a frantic Superchunk style energy, a little bit of a glammy swagger and the powerful lead vocals of Sabrina Ellis into an album that is so thoroughly fun and listenable it boggles the mind.  A lot of the individual elements of the band would work in just about any situation, but when they merge together, I don't think there are many that would be able to pull this off.  

Lyrics alone, saying something like "I wanna make you come if you can make me laugh" could just be the death of a band that was less confident and in control of their music.  This is an album made by a collection of people that know their band is hot shit, but are still unafraid to let you into their world and show a little vulnerability.  It's a hell of a record by a hell of a band.

A Giant Dog - Toy:

https://agiantdog.bandcamp.com/album/toy

The Blues Brothers - Soul Man 7" (Spain)

Atlantic (1978)

So if you haven't figured it out yet, I've bought a bunch of Soul Man 7"s over the last few weeks.  There's more to come and I'm still not positive I have all of the different picture sleeves out there.  And this is only Soul Man.  I can absolutely say, I've been very surprised to realize just how many picture sleeve Blues Brothers 7"s are actually out there.

This particular one is from Spain.  Like many of the Blues Brothers 7"s from 1978, they are once again reusing the Briefcase Full of Blues album artwork for the single.  This time they've shifted the color scheme to a light green.  It stands out, but I'm continuously baffled at how little artwork seemed to be available back then.  That being said, I guess each individual country that released this probably didn't care if they were using the same art as a neighboring country.  I dig the subtle differences between each one, but how great would it have been if every single had completely different art?

Songs are the same as on the other versions: "Soul Man" and "Excusez Moi Mon Cherie."  The collection continues to grow.

Blues Brothers - "Soul Man":

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

Blues Brothers - "Excusez Moi Mon Cherie":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcGQ36B_yrI

Balloon Flights - Staten Island 12"

No Tomorrow / Torreznetes / Rufus / KDF (2016)

I came across this band in the review section of Razorcake.  The reviewer there had name dropped Superchunk as well as RVIVR and that seemed like an interesting enough combination that I went in search of this band from Spain.  Once I found their Bandcamp page and gave this a listen, I was sold and immediately ordered.

I can't say that I hear any Superchunk in this record at all, if anything this strikes me as a slightly poppier version of the kind of sounds that the Welfare Problems era  Randy was putting out.  It has the same sort of intensity and vocals that I think are pretty similar as well.  However where Randy was all about attitude, Balloon Flights embrace pop hooks to a much greater degree.  Each verse builds to that big chorus were the songs all come to life.

This seven song 12" EP is a great introduction to the band.  The've got a few other EPs up on their Bandcamp page as well, but I definitely would be interested in a full length album from these guys.  Hopefully they're working on one right now.

Balloon Flights - Staten Island:

https://balloonflights.bandcamp.com/album/staten-island

Marvelous Mark - Buzzin' LP - Pink Vinyl (/100)

Drunken Sailor (2017)

This Marvelous Mark album is comprised of some new songs as well as a bunch of tunes from prior EPs that have been added in to fill out the LP.  While I never quite seem to love Marvelous Mark songs quite as much as the songs he was cranking out in his prior band, Marvelous Darlings, there are some fantastic tunes on this album.

While Marvelous Darlings traded in big pop choruses and a healthy amount of swagger, Marvelous Mark dives deeper into pure pop bringing together a sound that's part 90's guitar pop bands like The Posies, but combined with the sort of upbeat fuzz you'll find in modern bands like Wavves.  Every one of the songs on Buzzin' is drenched in sugary melodies with hooks to match.  

I guess part of me doesn't love this album quite as much as I normally would since I've heard so many of the songs before, but if you only have Mark's last album Crushin', this is a pretty essential pick up.  Even if you have the singles, the new songs exclusive to this release are still great, so I can't really imagine passing on this record no matter what your existing collection looks like.

Marvelous Mark - Buzzin':

https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/buzzin-lp

Plum - Realms of the Unreal CD

Urban Sleep (2014)

The singer from Plum sent me this CD.  I had met him in Tokyp while he was playing with the new band he's in, 2 Sick Worry.  He gave me the Plum full length album at the show I saw 2 Sick Worry play and I reviewed that a few months ago.  He followed that up by sending me this CD version of Realms of the Unreal that was only released in Chile.  It has all four songs that are also on a cassette of the same name, but also includes a pile of extra tracks.

We start out a little scary with "Sickage," a song that's essentially a lot of angry screaming, which as you may know by now, really isn't my thing.  Luckily the album takes an immediate turn into the sort of high energy and catchy pop that I was hoping to hear.  Because of the vocals, I tend to compare Plum to fellow Japanese band Navel a bit, but there's something about Plum that sets them part.  I think it's a sweetness in the songs that just draws you in to the hooks and jangly guitar work.

Aside from "Sickage," every song on this release is a bouncy pop gem.  If you like fast, catchy, 90's style pop punk with high pitched vocals and tons of energy, it's definitely worth trying to track down.  I know that I'm really happy to be able to have this CD in my collection.  2 Sick Worry is starting to work on getting some music out into the world and I'm really excited to hear more from them.

Plum - Realms of the Unreal (There's only 1 song up on Bandcamp, but it's a good one):

https://plumlife.bandcamp.com/album/realms-of-the-unreal

Stephen El Rey - Poor Born 7"

Pig Baby (2017)

I'll admit it, I absolutely was prejudging this record based on the cover.  Even after all this time, I'm always a little weirded out by pictures of the band or artist on the cover of a record.  There's no rationale to this, I own an uncountable number of great records that feature some version of a band picture on the cover.  For whatever reason, that doesn't stop me from wrestling with some Larry David-esque rule I have in my head that bands shouldn't do that.

Anyway, I'm happy to report that my initial trepidations about Stephen El Rey were washed away once I actually listened to this 7".  I'll say this much, it's a varied 7" showcasing a lot of different things over 3 songs.  Opener "Poor Born" is a messy garage-y stomper, with reverb soaked vocals that jump in and out of the song like a pumped up Jon Spencer.  While not my favorite song of the three, it's an energetic intro and I'm always in favor of that.

When we move on to "Buried Under The Future," there's an immediate shift to a slower, surf tinged instrumental.  A start comparison to the song before, but a nice break in the middle of the record.  Things close out with "Drunk Again."  This time, El Rey slows things down even more and enters that sort of low voice crooner territory that Dan Sartain once inhabited so perfectly.  Now, the song does build into something bordering on a jumbled freak out at the end, but it manages to have a sort of charm that I find endearing.  

In my opinion, this is one of those 7"s where each song is better than the rest.  I can't say I'm completely sold on Stephen El Rey, but I would certainly be curious to see what he's able to do over the course of a full album.

Stephen El Rey - Poor Born 7":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOYxG49X6AY

Reverse - Chasing Ghosts CD

SP Records (2011)

I couldn't possibly explain why it took so long for me to finally buy this CD.  I love Reverse.  They had a string of 7"s that came out on Damaged Goods in the mid 90's that are among my favorite 7"s in my collection.  Not quite as remembered as some of the other titans of the UK scene of the time, this Stoke-on-Trent band was one that I've always wanted to hear more from.  I vividly remember trying to convince Dave, the trombone player from Snuff, to give me the Reverse shirt he had when Snuff toured America one time.  He wouldn't part with it (though he did end up giving me a really excellent Letherface 'Mackem Bastards' shirt, so nothing but good feelings towards Dave).

A little bit prior to this CD, SP records had released a CD of Reverse singles as well as some previously unheard songs they had amassed. The fact that they had another seventeen songs hanging around after that release kind of boggles my mind.  Why didn't any of these come out back then?  I will say this, while there are some truly fantastic songs on this record, they don't quite live up to my favorite songs from the 7"s.  I'm sure that has a lot to do with the fact that I've been listening to the 7" ones for about twenty years while I haven't lived with the songs on this CD for anywhere near as long.  

Still, there's something about songs like "Denial," when the band is just tearing through their chorus with tons of vocal harmonies and energy to spare.  Some of the slower songs on this CD don't grab me the same way, but Reverse still has a way of drawing me in with their gravely vocals and unabashed pop hooks.  I can't really explain why they've been lost to history, but both this CD and the singles comp, Glance Sideways, are overlooked gems that deserve more attention than they get.

Reverse - Chasing Ghosts (4 songs sampler):

https://sprecords.bandcamp.com/album/chasing-ghosts

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Damn The Torpedoes 2xLP

Backstreet/Geffen (2010, Reissue)

This isn't a review and this isn't a record that I've bought recently.  This is just a reminder that Damn The Torpedoes is a hell of a record and Tom Petty will be incredibly missed.  Above is the 2xLP reissue from 2000.  It's amazing.  There are still many Tom Petty albums on my list of records to pick up, but this one will always be my favorite.

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - "Refugee":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Yai8fxLok8

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - "Don't Do Me Like That":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJuuqh57qC4

Light FM - Let The Death Toll Rise 7"

Pig Baby (2017)

I think I've said in the past, but 80's synth sounds turn me off of records faster than almost anything.  So I'll brace you for that right now as the second that "Let The Death Toll Rise" started playing, they were fighting an uphill battle with me.  As the song progressed, my initial distain did subside a bit, but not to the point where Light FM would be a band that I would listen to very often.  I suppose if you like this sort of thing, this 7" would be fine.  Problem is, I don't like this sort of thing.

To me, Light FM is aptly named as both songs are pretty slow and to me, a little boring.  There's just nothing all that engaging about this band.  They go through the motions, moving the song to its next logical chord change, but there's never anything surprising or something that makes you sit up and take notice.  B side "Body Bag" isn't really that much different from the A side except that it's even slower and doesn't have any handclaps. 

As a rule, I can't stand 80's sounding pop music.  It just turns me off so quickly it would make your head spin.  When bands mine that time period for sounds now, it's just baffling to me.  To each their own, but this one isn't for me.

Light FM - "Let The Death Toll Rise":

https://lightfm.bandcamp.com/track/death-toll-rise

Light FM - "Body Bag":

https://lightfm.bandcamp.com/track/body-bag

The Blues Brothers - Soul Man 7" (Netherlands)

Atlantic (1978)

Of all of the Soul Man 7"s I've picked up recently, I think this one might be my favorite.  It was released in the Netherlands and utilizes the band's logo as the sleeve, rather than just recycling the Briefcase Full of Blue artwork (don't worry, that art makes an appearance on the back of the sleeve).

I kind of find it fascinating that considering how big The Blues Brothers were, there's so few pictures of them used on their record sleeves.  Still, this one is bold and really stands out from the pack.  The songs are the same "Soul Man" / "Excuse Moi Mon Cherie" split as are on most of the Soul Man 7"s from this era.

It's a cool add to the collection.  I've picked up a lot of these Blues Brothers picture sleeves and I'm going to try to keep to a schedule of posting about one every other Thursday.

Blues Brothers - "Soul Man":

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

Blues Brothers - "Excusez Moi Mon Cherie":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcGQ36B_yrI

Bows - Burn Out Wrong Suspirations CD

Trace Of The Youth (2016)

I don't know what it is exactly that makes Japanese punk rock so much better to my ears than the kinds of punk being manufactured by the rest of the world.  That's not to say that Japan has the monopoly on great music, but there's just something about the bands over there that elevates up to a higher level than most others.

Bows is a great example of this.  On the surface, they're playing melodic punk rock with odes to Leatherface.  But when you really listen to it, it's immediately apparent how much higher their balloon soars compared to others with the same influences.  Bows are able to mix together the intensity of a band like I Excuse while channelling in the hooks and rampant catchiness of bands like J Church.  The crossbreed they've created is a super energetic band fueled in equal parts by a barely controlled energy and the ability to hide a catchy tune in all of the guitar carnage.

It's amazing to me that after all of these years I'm still able to find new bands that just blow me away with their take on the kind of music that I love.  I've only been to Japan once, but an album like this makes me feel whatever the equivalent is of being homesick for a place that you don't live.

Bows - Burn Out Wrong Suspirations:

https://traceoftheyouth.bandcamp.com/album/burn-out-wrong-suspirations

Main Source - Breaking Atoms LP + 7" - Clear w/ Orange Vinyl

Vinyl Me, Please (2017, Reissue)

Guilty as charged.  I actually signed up for a month of the Vinyl Me, Please service in order to get this pressing of the Main Source's 1992 masterpiece, Breaking Atoms.  I'm super leery of all of these weird vinyl curation services that have popped up over the years.  They all seem like scams to me; and not the good kind of scam like Columbia House where I can get ten LPs for a penny and then never buy anything.  

Vinyl Me, Please at least allows the option of signing up for one month so you can get the specific wacky pressing that they are offering.  Sure it was a bit more expensive than if I had subscribed for a longer duration, but then I would have been stuck with a bunch of crap records that I didn't want.  This Main Source pressing is exclusive to the subscription, though I do not know how many copies ended up being pressed.  It has super slick packaging, the vinyl itself looks great and it comes with some extra art prints and liner notes.  Not to mention the bonus 7" that has a remix of "Peace Is Not The Word To Play" and the previously unreleased (excluding bootlegs) song "How My Man Went Down In The Game."

The main album itself is one of those golden age hip hop classics.  Put it up next to Tribe Called Quest, Pharcyde, Souls Of Mischief, Del or any of the other greats of that peak early 90's time and Main Source holds up to them all.  Innovative beats, complex lyrics with great delivery; it has everything you could possibly want out of a record.  If only there were records this good still being made in the world of hip hop.  I'm sure there's something out there I'm missing.  Send some recommendations.

Main Source - "Snake Eyes":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCZib1L7GLE

Main Source - "Lookin' Out The Front Door":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNRCQ9eagWQ

Lost Balloons - Liquor Store 7" - White Vinyl

Wild Honey (2017)

I'm not sure if you want to call this a follow up or a companion piece to last week's Radioactivity review, but this Lost Balloons single was released at roughly the same time by the same label.  I also bought them together and both bands feature Jeff Burke, so they're intertwined in some way for sure.  Lost Balloons is Burke's collaboration with Yusuke Okada, who most know from Suspicious Beasts but I'll always know him from being in Blotto, one of my favorite Snuffy Smiles bands.

The two songs on this Lost Balloons 7" showcase two very different styles that the band is working within.  A side "Liquor Store" is a fast, lo fi blast of fuzzy guitar pop.  It's a style most closely linked to Jeff Burke's other bands.  Frankly it's a great song, big and powerful - though clocking in under a minute and a half, I can't help but wish it went on a bit longer.

On the B side we have "Dirty Sandy."  This one plays more to Yusuke Okada's strengths.  It's got that sort of boozy psych feel that you'll find here and there on Suspicious Beasts' records.  I can't say I like it as much as the A side.  Even on Suspicious Beasts albums, I tend to favor the songs that are a bit faster and louder than this one.  I'd say this 7" is more for completists.  The A side is really short and the B side isn't anything to write home about.  There's no way I wasn't going to buy it, but you may want to check the songs out before you dive into those import shipping fees.

Lost Balloons - Liquor Store 7":

https://wildhoneyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/liquor-store-dirty-sandy-7

Browntrout - Long Good-Night LP

Mostoff (2013)

To me, this record kind of represents my failure in keeping up with Japanese punk rock over the last few years.  I had gotten the first Browntrout album, Stepping With Fuzzy Ideas, right when it came out (though that didn't stop me from mistakenly ordering a 2nd copy of it recently - don't worry, I found it a good home).  Then, I never really heard anything more from Browntrout.  Apparently I missed the fact that they put out a single or two and an entire full length album.  On vinyl no less.

Happily, I'm correcting my ignorance and filling in some holes on incredible records that I missed out on.  Long Good-Night absolutely fits the bill when I say incredible.  This is a band that has a knack for packing tons of energy into each song.  The vocals remind me a lot of the band Blew (although I hear just a bit of early Husking Bee in there too), especially the way they pop in all of the choruses.  Musically, I think Browntrout is sort of like a louder, faster version of early Your Pest Band.  Back when they were only hinting at a 60's influence but were still very much a fast rock band.

Browntrout takes those 60's vibes, but keeps everything churning along, cramming in more hooks and more dynamic guitar until the album is practically bursting at the seems.  If you can't tell, I love this damn record.  I can't believe I was four years late in picking it up.  Don't wait another moment longer than necessary to add to your collection to.

Browntrout - Long Good-Night:

https://mostoffrecords.bandcamp.com/album/long-good-night

Radioactivity - Infected 7" - White Vinyl

Wild Honey (2017)

I picked up this import Radioactivity 7" along with a Lost Balloons one that'll be reviewing in the next few weeks.  The postage was expensive, but man are these Radioactivity songs worth it.  I feel like if you told Jeff Burke of Radioactivity/Lost Balloons/Marked Men/etc that he wrote the best pop punk songs in the world right now, he may not appreciate that description as some folks take offense to the term pop punk.  But for me it's totally true, there's really no one doing it better.

Burke has a unique way of mixing his strained vocal melodies with wild chord progressions that always veer off somewhere unexpected, but amazing.  He writes fuzzed out pop songs differently than the rest of the world, elevating the form while still keeping things fast, catchy and exciting.  If you wanted to argue that Jeff Burke writes the best hooks in all of music, that's an argument I would definitely take under consideration.

These two new songs are as good as anything Radioactivity has previously released.   "Infected" is a quick blast of dark lyrics and escalating chords.  It's just so damn catchy that it should be in every jukebox in the world.  "Sleep" has a similar tempo, but the way the vocals are delivered makes it seem just a bit slower than the A side.  It's still a smash hit and both of these songs have me eagerly awaiting the next Radioactivity full length.

Radioactivity - Infected 7":

https://wildhoneyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/infected-sleep

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Source Tags & Codes 2xLP - Blue Vinyl

Interscope (2017, Reissue)

Source Tags & Codes is one of those albums that I just love.  There's something epic, perhaps even pretentious about it, but that doesn't stop it from being a forceful piece of music that really just hits me.  When I had read that they were reissuing it as a double LP with a few extra tracks, it seemed like a no brainer to pick up.  Having received it, I wish I would have done a bit more research.

My main issue is the fact that pretty much all of the newly added tracks are just instrumental interludes tacked on to the existing album.  I guess I was expecting real songs, but that's on me for not looking into what the new songs were before ordering it.  I felt a little rushed as the blue vinyl had quickly sold out at one store so I was already on my back up.  That's another thing, you'd hardly know this blue vinyl was actually blue without holding it up to the light.

Had I not already had an original pressing of this album already, this is a must purchase.  It's just simply a wonderful and dynamic record filled with passionately played songs and just the right mix of rage and pop.  If you already have the first pressing, there's nothing on this that really warrants picking up a second copy.

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Source Tags & Codes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBcizXajSW4&list=PLA782A32853FB9951

Short Straw Fate - For the Heroes in My Record Rack CD

Fixing A Hole (2017)

I'm going to give a little marketing tip for any bands that specifically want to target me.  If you name your band after a song by Broccoli, that's a one hundred percent guarantee that I will listen to your album.  Now, if your band happens to be as flat out amazing as Short Straw Fate is, you can safely assume that I'm going to be listening to your album all the damn time.

Not only are Short Straw Fate named after a Broccoli song, but they happen to be named after one of my favorite Broccoli songs.  They also very obviously take influences from Broccoli as well as many other bands that I know and love.  Whether they are drawing from the octaves and melodic punk of the 1990's UK scene like Hooton 3 Car and Reverse or the fast paced, breakneck hooks of their own world of Japanese punk rock pioneered by bands like Snatcher or Blew, Short Straw Fate just delivers perfect hit after perfect hit on their debut album.

Now, I will say that I'm not as into the two really short and fast hardcore songs.  They sound a little jokey to me, and I would have happily replaced them with another smash pop hit.  That minor criticism aside, For the Heroes in My Record Rack is hands down one of the very best records I've heard all year.  It's could be the best punk rock album I've listened to in 2017.  If you are going to tailor make a band that combines all the best elements of bands I want to listen to, you're not going to get much better than Short Straw Fate. I love this record.

Short Straw Fate - For the Heroes in My Record Rack:

https://shortstrawfate.bandcamp.com/album/for-the-heroes-in-my-record-rack-sample

The Blues Brothers - Soul Man 7" (US Picture Sleeve Version)

Atlantic (1978)

I woke up late today, so in order to do a quick review, I've jumped another Blues Brothers 7" to the front of the line.  Otherwise I would have had to skip today's post.  This is another version of the Soul Man 7".  There are more Soul Man variants than any other Blues Brothers release, but this is your tried and true, basic US edition that came out in 1978.

Most of the various Soul man releases use some version of the Briefcase Full Of Blues artwork and this is no exception.  In fact, it simply is the Briefcase art, just with a white border around it.

On the B side we once again have "Excusez Moi Mon Cherie," the lone exclusive B side in the Blues Brothers discography.  There's nothing special about this particular version of the Soul Man 7", but it is the cornerstone that you need to build off of when you're collecting their singles.

Blues Brothers - "Soul Man":

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

Blues Brothers - "Excusez Moi Mon Cherie":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcGQ36B_yrI

The Sleeping Aides And Razorblades - Save The Right Thing 7"

KiliKiliVilla (2017)

Before I went to Japan, I hadn't ever heard of the label KiliKiliVilla.  Since that time, I've found that they may be one of the best labels out there.  Everything I've heard from them has been knock-your-socks-off great and this 7" by The Sleeping Aides And Razorblades is no exception.

Every song on this 7" is big on hooks and even bigger on melodies.  Sleeping Aides And Razorblades share some similarities with label mates Not Wonk, particularly in the vocals.  The guitar tones have that hint of reverb on them that sounds otherworldly, though it's never to the point where you'd ever mistake them for a surf band.  They combine this swirling, dreamy guitar with an upbeat power pop sound that I just love.

This was a 7" that was recommended to me by a friend. I wasn't familiar with this band prior to that.  A quick review of discogs shows me that this is a band that has been going for a while now and has quite a few other records.  Looks like I've got some shopping to do...

The Sleeping Aides And Razorblades - Save The Right Thing 7":

https://thesleepingaidesandrazorblades.bandcamp.com/album/save-the-right-thing

Jetpilot / Cinnabar - Split CD

Urban Sleep Discs (2009)

If there's one thing I love, it's being sent records to review by Japanese record labels.  For whatever reason, they always seem to know just what I need to listen to.  Call it common ground or say that I'm easy to pigeonhole, they seem to put out the best stuff.  Even when the bands in question aren't Japanese, as is the case with this split CD.

Both Jetpilot and Cinnabar hail from Sweden.  That's another country that I have a real soft spot for.  So many great bands have come from there.  I had reviewed another Jetpilot EP a few months ago.  I dug that one and I like their contributions to this split just as much.  Throughout the five songs, they pull off the sort of crunchy pop that should make any Sugar fan sit up and take notice.  The highlight of the bunch is "This House."  It's just a masterclass in crunchy guitar power.

Cinnabar isn't really too dissimilar from Jetpilot.  While it is a cop out to say that they sound the same, they definitely seem to draw from similar inspirations.  This is really the sort of pop core I love.  There is big, dynamic guitar work on the fast songs, squalling out with a chaotic, but still melodic sound.  "A Modern Taste" may be the best song on this entire EP and provides the sort of loud, crushing hooks that remind me quite a bit of Starmarket.  Cinnabar is also very capable when it comes to the more restrained, slower songs as evident by "Blue Movie." For me, the best slow songs always build to a noisy chorus and this one does that nicely. 

Unfortunately I can't find these songs streaming online anywhere, but trust me, they're all pretty great.

Capitalist Kids - Brand Damage LP - Yellow w/ Pink Splatter Vinyl

Brassneck / Eccentric Pop (2017)

For the uninitiated, Capitalist Kids are pretty much the best modern band playing the sort of straight up, 90's influenced pop punk that I love.  We're talking Mr. T Experience & Zoinks caliber tuneage  here.  There's no one doing better in 2017.  

That being said, even though I do really like this record, it's a bit of a let down for me when compared to prior releases of theirs.  It actually has nothing to do with the music at all.  The band is still cranking out ultra catchy songs with the sort of dynamic choruses that other bands wish they could craft.  It's really the subject matter that is a little lacking for me this time around.

Typically, the Capitalist Kids split their subject matter between witty love songs and politically themed ones.  This time out, the split is skewed dramatically towards the romance side of things, though I do think that part of that has to do with all of the songs being so short.  Only two of the fourteen clock in at over two minutes.  

I've always preferred their lefty pop myself as the band has a real knack for wrapping their heads around complex thoughts and serving them up in a wry and fun manner.  That's missing on Brand Damage a bit, but the songs still soar.  For those who miss the glory days of poppy punk rock from the 1990's, you're not going to find a band doing it better than Capitalist Kids.  Hell, this is miles better than that Mr. T Experience record that came out this year.  It's absolutely worth picking up.

Capitalist Kids - Brand Damage:

https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/capitalist-kids-brand-damage

The Blues Brothers - Soul Man 7" (UK Version, 1990)

WEA (1990)

I'm trying to space out these Blues Brothers 7"s as I have a feeling most people who read this website probably don't care all that much about them.  That being said, they are probably the single biggest musical influence I've had in my entire life, so I do want to showcase their records as I pick up these various singles.  I definitely have to say, I'm surprised at how many there actually are.  I also have a feeling it's going to be very difficult to hunt down the Japanese ones.

This particular Soul Man 7" was released in the UK in 1990.  I couldn't tell you why it was released as it was a decade past The Blues Brothers heyday, but it's interesting.  The first interesting thing is it lists "Soul Man" as being from the album Best of The Blues Brothers.  That is technically true, though it's certainly more well know for being from Briefcase Full of Blues.  But the weirder part is they list Best of The Blues Brothers as having come out in 1978.  The album actually came out in 1981.  

"Do You Love Me" is from the Made In America album.  While not one of my absolute favorite Blues Brother songs (let's face it, there's a lot of competition for that), it's a pretty strong version of song that's certainly more well known than a lot of their covers.  I do think it's an odd pairing with "Soul Man," but let's face it, everything about this 7" is kind of odd.

I'm taking a mini vacation next week, so this will be the last post for a little bit.  Things will resume on Monday, September 11th.

The Blues Brothers - "Soul Man":

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

The Blues Brothers - "Do You Love Me":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owCtCy55S2k

Good Shade - Lunch LP

Gut Genug / A-F Records

Lunch is the third Good Shade album that has been released.  it follows up their self titled debut and their last album Breakfast.  I can only assume Dinner is on the horizon, though perhaps they'll throw a curveball and put out an Afternoon Snack while we wait.  The pressing information on this album is a little scattered.  What I think happened is 175 copies are available through the band and Gut Genug records.  The other 125 seem to have been part of the A-F record club, so I think that puts us at 300 copies total.  I bought this one from the band, but the A-F website mentions something about exclusive artwork for their version.  The world my never know.

As far as Lunch is concerned, in many ways this album is another batch of tried and true songs from Good Shade.  They've always had something of a Marked Men feel to them, ever since they spun off from the equally excellent Tight Bros.  This album does take the band in a few new direction, slowing things down a little bit and taking a slightly darker twist than they have in the past.  It results in an album with variety, but still sounds like the Good Shade I know and love.

I tend to prefer the faster songs, as they have an energy to them that doesn't shine through quite as much when things slow down, but I can't say there's a bad song on the album.  Absolutely worth picking up if you like Dirtnap style fuzz pop.

Good Shade - Lunch LP:

https://goodshade.bandcamp.com/album/lunch

Sir Coyler and His Asthmatic Band - Invincible Blues 7"

Pig Baby (2017)

This is the second Sir Coyler and His Asthmatic Band record I've reviewed and man, I like this one even more than the first.  Maybe I just don't know where to look, but it sure seems like the west coast has way cooler bands than anything I can find here in New Jersey.  Though admittedly, I've kind of always felt like that.  New Jersey has never really been a hotbed of local bands that ever really jumper out at me (most of the local-ish bands I liked the most tended to be from PA.)

Anyway, back to Sir Coyler.  A side "Invincible Blues" is a stone cold smash of garage-y energy.  The song is built on this excellent guitar riff that pops in and out of the song accentuating each verse and transition.  It's the sort of riff that gets stuck in your head for years and makes you try to think of ways to steal it without anyone else noticing.  

The B side "Pink & Blue" is more subdued, taking down the tempo and fervor, but adding in a bit more melody.  It's a strong and catchy song, but I'll admit to enjoying the unchained energy of the A side a bit more.  Regardless of which song I prefer, both a quite good and seem to be a big leap forward from their last EP.  I know I'd like to hear more.

Sir Coyler and His Asthmatic Band - "Invincible Blues":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei7DWmcDRLw

Lost Balloons - Hey Summer LP - White Vinyl (/300)

Dirtnap (2017)

Jeff Burke is one of my favorite songwriters in punk rock.  I've loved just about everything he's ever been involved with.  The Marked Men, Radioactivity, Potential Johns, Novice and Lost Balloons.  Lost Ballons is the band he formed with Yusuke Okada (From the Japanese band Suspicious Beasts, but who was also in a great band called Blotto for a while).  Their first self titled album came out in 2015 on Alien Snatch records out of Germany.  For their follow up, they've hooked up with long time Jeff Burke record pushers, Dirtnap.

Now, while I want to say upfront that I do really like Hey Summer, it is the least Jeff Burke sounding record he's ever recorded.  Yes, the hooks are there.  Yes, you can hear echoes of the song structures and interesting chord progressions that he's championed in his other projects.  But these Lost Balloons songs are, for the most part, so much mellower and quieter than what Burke is usually known for.  Even compared to the last Lost Balloons record, this is a pretty big swing to a new direction.

Hey Summer is very much a lazy, summertime pop album.  The sort of thing that would be really nice to listen to while kicking back in a hammock with a glass of lemonade.  The jangly guitar lines and relaxed vocals showcase a side of Burke's pop sensibilities that have only been hinted at in the past.  All of that said, I don't like it as much as his faster, louder work.  I love it as a side project, but I would be bummed if he went this direction permanently.  Still, it's a nice change of pace when you want to have something a bit more chilled out to listen to.

Lost Balloons - Hey Summer:

https://dirtnaprecords.bandcamp.com/album/lost-balloons-hey-summer

Fretblanket - Twisted 7"

Rockville (1993)

This 7" is another one I picked up when one of my friends was purging their records collection.  I couldn't pass up the chance to grab this little gem from a band that is all but forgotten these days, Fretblanket.  It seems pretty crazy that this record is twenty four years old at this point, but that's aging for you.

Fretblanket were from England and their album Junkfuel was one of those major label 1990's rock albums that came out in the post Nirvana bubble and really didn't go anywhere.  Very much a king of the used bin sort of record not unlike a Fig Dish would have been.  Both of the songs on this 7" are also on Junkfuel, which makes me wonder why I insist on having it take up space in my collection, but as that album never came out on vinyl this is my only chance to preserve even a couple of songs on the best format.

"Twisted" is an upper mid tempo rocker with a nice big hook in the chorus, gruff vocals and some faint haunting backing vocals that really adds texture to everything.  The guitars are nice and loud and everything is really basic guitar pop.  There's hints of punk rock bubbling under the surface, but for the most part, it's a pretty slick and catchy song.  B side "Hang Glider" changes things up.  It's not as instantly catchy, retaining a larger amount of angst in the vocals.  The song is a bit slower than "Twisted," but it's still upbeat enough to where I wouldn't say it's a slow song.  I can't say the noisy guitar freakout at the end is my favorite thing in the wold, but hey, it was the 90's.  Things were different back then,

Fretblanket - "Twisted":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps16C0P7mfE

Fretblanket - "Hang Glider":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sVKylJBIQk

Crocodile God / Not Tonight And The Headaches - Split 7" - Purple Vinyl

Speedowax (2016)

Longtime readers know, I do love a good split 7".  It's a great way to be forced to check out a new band while you pick up something you're more familiar with.  In this instance my love for Crocodile God goes back decades.  It was the very definition of a no brainer that I was going to pick up this 7".  However, I hadn't even heard of Not Tonight And The Headaches.  So here's a new band to check out.

The two Not Tonight And The Headaches songs are pretty dissimilar from each other, which wasn't really something I was expecting.  "Slucky" has a very strong mid tempo Banner Pilot feel to it with the big fat octaves and some guest vocals by Jeff Caudill from Gameface.  The next song of theirs is "She's With You," a faster one with a much more pronounced UK pop punk sound.  It's definitely the better of the two not only because it's more in my wheelhouse, but also because it doesn't so obviously sound like another band.

Crocodile God, on the other hand, is a band I'm extremely familiar with.  It marks about twenty years ago to the week that I saw them, Chopper and Skimmer play a snooker club in Leeds when I went to England for a couple of weeks (primarily to record shop, which I'm sure is surprising). "Spinning" is classic Crocodile God; starting off a little slower with a super catchy chorus and some tasteful palm muting.  Then, towards the end, they fake you out by dramatically increasing the tempo and rocketing to the finish.  "Entomologist Eyes" is an overall faster song, with buzzing guitar riffs and hyperactive drum fills.  It's kind of funny to me to still be getting new Crocodile God songs twenty years later, but I'll take it.  If they keep releasing them, I'll keep buying them.

Not Tonight And The Headaches - Their Side of the Split:

https://nottonightandtheheadaches.bandcamp.com/album/not-tonight-and-the-headaches-crocodile-god-split-7

Crocodile God - Their Side of the Split:
https://crocodilegod.bandcamp.com/album/split-with-not-tonight-and-the-headaches

The Thingz - Vault Of Tomorrow LP

Coffee Addict (2017)

As soon as I opened up the package containing this Thingz LP, I thought there was a pretty good chance it wouldn't be for me.  After all, they're using a "z" instead of an "s."  That's bad news right there.  Still, I went in with an open mind and only after listening to this album can I confirm that, in fact, I do not like it.  Sometimes first impressions are right.

The Thingz are playing stripped down garage-y rock with a leaning towards occult themes.  Sound familiar?  Probably because there are dozens of other bands with this same gimmick. At this point if you are going to start up a sci fi themed garage band, you had better be pretty damn spectacular otherwise you're just going to get compared to other bands doing it better than you.

The guitar on this record, in particular, is thin and doesn't really ever bring in the oomph, leaving the songs just sort of hanging.  But the real problem here is the vocals.  There are two singers, neither of which are particularly good.  The songs by bassist Kim are really tough to get through.  She leans so heavily on a sneering nasal delivery and it just doesn't work.  When guitarist Mike leads the way, things are nominally better.  He doesn't do the nasal thing quite so pronounced but kind of sounds a little bit like the singer from Headache City, just not as good.

I'm sure there's a set of garage rockers that will welcome a band like The Thingz into the fold.  For me, there's not enough pop and there aren't enough hooks to keep me interested.  Combine that with vocals that I just cannot get into and you've got an album that I'm unlikely to listen to again.

The Thingz - Vault Of Tomorrow:

https://thethingz.bandcamp.com/album/vault-of-tomorrow

Husking Bee - Put On Fresh Paint LP - Green Vinyl (Japanese Version)

Ini-Ini (1998)

A few months ago I posted a review of the American version of this LP that I had picked up super cheep in Japan.  It was something of a place holder as I really wanted the Japanese version the most.  Lucky for me, Kazu @ Waterslide records found one in his travels and grabbed it for me.  This is one of my favorite albums, so I'm pretty excited to finally have a copy.

I didn't realize that the Ini-Ini version was on green vinyl, so that's just a bonus.  If you want to read more of my thoughts on the actual record, you can check out the last time I reviewed it here.  For now, just enjoy the vastly superior artwork of the Japanese version and if you don't have any version of this record, you should go pick it up.

Husking Bee - "Sing to Me":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaBF_HoZ25g

Husking Bee - "Single Word":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd6hCU8o9vo

Votzco - Run Away 7"

Debauch Mood (2016)

Even I am surprised that we're in mid August and I still have records that I haven't reviewed from my Japan trip in December.  I actually still have quite a few that I haven't gotten to yet.  I probably would be closer to done if I had reviewed nothing but those records before moving on to other things, but that didn't make sense to me to do.  I can think of worse things than having kick ass Japanese records to write about all year long.

Speaking of kicking ass, Votzco does a quite a bit of that on this two song 7" of theirs. They are drawing from the great tradition of Japanese bands playing super energetic and catchy punk rock.  It's something that I probably mention a bit too much, but they are the kind of band that I think would fit right in with any of your Snuffy Smile records from the mid 90's.  A little more shouting than Blew, but maybe a bit catchier at least on these two songs.

"Run Away" jumps right in with its big guitars blasting over a thundering rhythm section.  Fast tempo and great vocals make this the highlight for me.  That's not to take anything away from the B side "Gills Besson."  It's a little bit slower (but not too much) and takes a slightly more melodic approach, but it still brimming with hooks and dynamic guitar work.  This is a great, great band and I really need to hear more from them.  I don't think they have anything else out just yet, but if I'm wrong and someone has more records by them, please let me know so I can buy them.

Votzco - "Run Away":

https://soundcloud.com/debauch-mood/run-away

Wood Chickens - Skunk Ape 7"

Kitschy Manitou (2017)

I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I put on this Wood Chickens 7" that I was sent to review.  The art was kind of 90's looking, which I guess is a plus though it was leaning pretty heavy on the sasquatch theme, which can be dicey.

At the end of the day, I don't really know exactly how I feel about this.  It's OK, but I can't imagine listening to it again.  Wood Chickens roll out a twang filled countrified stomp, mixed in with a little hillbilly punk.  Southern Culture on the Skids and Slim Cessna's Auto Club are decent comparisons, but Wood Chickens aren't quite as good as either of those bands.

The pace is quick and the energy is high, so points for that, but I guess it's a little too gimmicky at the end of the day for me.  It's fun, but it just isn't as good as other bands I've heard that pull this off more successfully.  Perhaps there's potential for these guys in the future, they seem to be on to something but aren't quite there yet.

Wood Chickens - Skunk Ape 7":

https://woodchickens.bandcamp.com/album/skunk-ape-7

Summerman - Live At Kichijoji Warp 16​/​9​/​16​ (​Fri​) Cassette

Too Smell (2016)

A few months ago, I wrote about the Summerman album Temperature Is...  In case you missed that review, let me save you some time and tell you to stop reading this review and go try to buy that album.  It is tremendously great.  That being said, the reason I bought that album was because of this cassette.  At the PopKid/Waterslide show at What's Up in Tokyo, several of the members of Summerman were at the show and this tape was given to me there.  So let me start off by saying thank you again for the tape.

Live At Kichijoji Warp is exactly what it says, a live recording of eight Summerman songs. Most of them are from the Temperature Is... album, but they've got a couple of new songs that are exclusive to this tape (mysteriously labels as "New Song 1" and "New Song 2").  I already know and love the album tracks with "Winter Bargain" and "Summer! Summer! Summer!" being real standouts.  The two new songs are also quite excellent.  "New Song 1" is upbeat and jangly with squalls of guitar feedback piercing through the verse and a hugely triumphant chorus.  "New Song 2" is slightly more low key, but its bouncy guitar riffs and another spectacular chorus make it one of my favorites on the tape.

Now, any live show recording is going to have some fidelity issues, this doesn't sound like a studio album or anything.  But, it shows a glimpse of a great pop band plying their wares live.  I worry that I'll never get the chance to see them play live, so this cassette is the next best thing.  The sneak peak at a couple new songs just makes me even more excited to hear more music from these guys.  Hopefully there's a new record coming soon.  I've already heard rumors of a cover song that they're working on that has me quite intrigued.

Summerman - Live At Kichijoji Warp 16​/​9​/​16​ (​Fri​):

https://toosmellrecords.bandcamp.com/album/summerman-live-at-kichijoji-warp-dogs-on-acid-japan-tour-2016-9-16-fri