V/A - Beau's All Natural Brewing Company Compilation 7" -Thanks @chrispager !

V/A - Beau's All Natural Brewing Company Compilation 7" - Thanks @chrispager !, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Beau's All Natural (2011)

This is a 7" that a local brewery in Ontario, Canada released that was sold with a specific limited beer that they were selling. Big points to them for a really awesome idea. Unfortunately, that made it a bit difficult for folks like me in the US to obtain. Luckily @chrispager was a great man and picked one up for me, helping me keep my White Wires collection complete. The bands on this 7" are The White Wires, The Flatliners, Chris Rayburn, Elliott Brood & Teenage X. Pretty varied rock and roll sounds overall, but I'm here for the White Wires who provided an alternate version to the song Ha Ha Holiday from their fist LP. Couldn't find this new version online, but here's a link to the album version of the song.

White Wires - Ha Ha Holiday:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4da-QDEZ64

Mr. T Experience / Sicko - Split 7" - GREEN VINYL /100

Mr. T Experience / Sicko - Split 7" - GREEN VINYL /100, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Top Drawer Records (1993)

While my record collection is extensive and the individual collections of my favorite bands are completed for the most part, there are still a handful of records that I feel like I'll never hunt down. The first one is the 1st self released Love As Laughter cassette, but another that has been on the list forever is the Mr. T Experience / Sicko split 7" that came out on Top Drawer records in 1993 on green vinyl. Sure I had the version on Top Drawer that came out on black vinyl. I have the version that eMpTy records later released. Heck, PopKid records even sort of released this 7" (We put a PopKid stamp on the back of about 50 leftover black vinyl Top Drawer versions). But the limited to 100 copies green vinyl version always eluded me.

Well how about that! One showed up on eBay last week. I've never seen this record for sale before, and there was no way I was letting it slip through my fingers. Sure I paid collector prices for this, but I don't care. After years and years of looking out for it, it's finally mine! Super, giant, huge thanks to @AlanRappa for giving me the heads up on the auction. Had I missed it, I would have been crushed. It's difficult to explain just how thrilled I am to finally have this in my collection, but on top of the rarity and the excitement of finally having this record, let's not forget that the songs by both bands are 2 of the best they ever released.

Sicko: 80 Dollars (I could only find a live version online):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O10iWkIECPs

Mr. T Experience: Together Tonight:
Sadly I couldn't find this streaming anywhere, but trust me, it's great.

Delay - Rushing Ceremony LP (Cover art not particularly safe for work)

Delay - Rushing Ceremony LP (Cover art not particularly safe for work), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Shout Out Loud (2012)

Long awaited (by me anyway) follow up to their last LP, Plain Language, Rushing ceremony sees Delay further developing their sound. They've slowed things down a bit focusing more on their indie pop side than on their pop punk stylings. The result is quite a treat. So many bands seem to lose their energy when they try to adjust the tempo of their songs, but Delay manage to still capture an incredible amount of enthusiasm and jam it into their songs. The vocals are the real highlight on this album as Delay employs harmonies and backing vocals better than about 90% of the bands currently putting out records.

I will say that I don't like or really get the artwork, but I hope it doesn't keep anyone from checking out this great, great record.

Bandcamp stream of the entire record:

W. H. Walker - Duds! LP

W. H. Walker - Duds!, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Taken By Surprise (2011)

Are you looking for a fun record? They don't get much more fun than Duds! It's a record full of rollicking, sing along party songs. I can't tell you how completely blown away by how infectious this album is. It sounds like a rag tag group of friends, sitting in the living room of the house they're squatting in, just banging away at their instruments without a care in the world. If there's a great record that came out last year that you missed, this is probably it (I missed it too). You should correct that omission immediately, if not sooner.

Pixies - Come On Pilgrim LP

Pixies - Come On Pilgrim LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

4AD (Reissue)

Honestly, I don't have much to say about this record that I didn't say about Trompe Le Monde yesterday. Even though they don't make a Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab version of Come On Pilgrim, 4AD did a great job with this one as well. Very happy to have an almost complete collection of Pixies full lengths on vinyl now. I always new getting gifts was fun.

Pixies - Trompe Le Monde LP

Pixies - Trompe Le Monde LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

4AD (2010 - Reissue)

Over this past holiday season, for Christmas & my birthday (also known as the most wonderful time of the year), I asked friends and family to pick me up some records that were sorely lacking from my collection. Mostly ones that I had on CD from high school or whatever (yes, yes I split my record buying time in high school and bought just as many CDs as I did LPs), but hadn't gotten around to grabbing on vinyl. I figured they were a safe bet, as I could hold off on buying them (I would never ask for recently released albums, because the wait would be brutal).

Anyway, I definitely needed to add the Pixies records to my collection. Though Trompe Le Monde isn't one of the albums that got the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab treatment, the reissue that 4AD did is also fantastic. 180 gram vinyl, perfect sound, great art. I'm not one of those people that insists EVERY record sounds better on vinyl. I think most do, but some simply sound better on CD. Well I can tell you this, the Pixies are absolutely a vinyl band. If you haven't heard their records from the comfort of your turntable, you are missing out on something special. Many many thanks to my wonderful wife for picking this (& Come On Pilgrim, which I will post a picture of tomorrow) up for me.

I'm not going to post a link to a Pixies song. If you seriously don't know what they sound like, I just can't help you as you should already be at the store buying their records.

Collection: Archers Of Loaf 7"s

Collection: Archers Of Loaf 7"s, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

I had threatened this a few days ago, that I may occasionally post a collection of mine rather than my usual 1 record as I buy it (I do post these pictures as I buy new & old stuff, I'm not just grabbing records I've had for a while off the shelf to take pictures of). And especially since January is a little slow for new releases, I figured now was as good a time as any. I may take pictures of all of the 7"s I have of a band or all of the full lengths or maybe just everything. In this case I decided to start off with my Archers of Loaf 7"s.

Archers of Loaf are such an amazing band, though the 1st time I heard them I wasn't impressed. I couldn't tell you what song of theirs it was, but I initially heard the band on some compilation my friend Pat had. Fast forward a bit and another friend of mine insisted I check out Icky Mettle and there you had it. I was hooked, destined to be buying their records for the foreseeable future. I will say the post Vee Vee releases never did it for me as much as their earlier records, but I'm nothing if not loyal.

Archers Of Loaf - South Carolina - Stay Free - Black Vinyl - w/ Zine
Archers Of Loaf - The Loaf's Revenge - Alias - Black Vinyl
Archers Of Loaf - The Results After The Loafs Revenge_Merge - Black Vinyl
Archers Of Loaf - UK Tour 7" - Alias - Black Vinyl
Archers Of Loaf / Small (23) - Split 7" - Alias - Black Vinyl
Archers Of Loaf / Treepeople- Split 7 " - Sonic Bubblegum - Black Vinyl - 2x7"
Archers Of Loaf - Harnessed In Slums - Alias - White Vinyl - w/ Archers 45 adapter
Archers Of Loaf / Monsterland - Split 7" - Radiopaque - Black Vinyl
Archers Of Loaf - Mutes In The Steeple - Esther - Black Vinyl
Archers Of Loaf - Mutes In The Steeple - Alias - Black Vinyl
Archers Of Loaf - Vocal Shrapnel - Alias - Black Vinyl
Archers Of Loaf - Jive Kata - Archers Of Loaf Fan Club (Self Released) - Black Vinyl

Missing: I know there's a black vinyl version of Harnessed in Slums that I've never gotten around to picking up. I probably will at some point, but since I had the more rare white vinyl version, I just never made it a priority.

Ground Round - Confused & Unknown 7" - Green Vinyl

Ground Round - Confused & Unknown 7" - Green Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Kirbdog Records (1993)

This was the 1 Ground Round record I didn't have; their first 7" on Kirbdog records. Some nice fellow on discogs.com had it for sale cheap so I figured it was time to complete the collection. I'm going to guess Ground Round did OK in the 90's getting compared to Crimpshrine in reviews, and the comparison is certainly accurate I think. The band also has 2 other 7"s, a 10" and a CD that compiles them all. As this is their 1st 7", I guess the songs on here aren't quite as polished as some of their others, but it's such a nice, nostalgic feeling listen to a band like this almost 20 years later.

Daily Routine:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh50UhGiVGk

Tenement / Culo - Spilt 7" - Red Splatter Vinyl /100

Tenement / Culo - Spilt 7" - Red Splatter Vinyl /100, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Cowabunga Records (2011)

Another new Tenement record with 2 new songs, and these ones are rippers (not to be confused with the fabulous hot dogs sold at Rutts Hut). Fidelity-wise, this is probably mid range for Tenement. Not quite as polished as their full length, Napalm Dream, but to me it sounds much slicker than than the material they recently put out on their Blind Wink LP. Most importantly, these songs are just bursting with energy & hooks. The Culo side doesn't do anything for me. I don't really like the kind of screamy hardcore they're serving up. I'm sure people that like that sort of thing may enjoy, but it's not for me. However, Tenement is one of my current favorites, and this 7"s should be bought right away whether or not you plan on playing the Culo side.

I couldn't find any of the Tenement songs streaming online, but their bandcamp page has pretty much every other song they've ever recorded streaming. tenement.bandcamp.com/

Tanner - Guard Dog 7"

Tanner - Guard Dog 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Standard Recordings (1993)

I've been trying to pick up the stray Tanner 7"s not in my collection over the years and they're an interesting band to keep your eye on record wise. Sometimes I'll see their records sell for an unusually large sum, other times they go for next to nothing. I'm going to assume that's because they have a small, but very passionate following and it just depends on who is watching the sale at the time. Anyway I picked this up for little money and although it does have a bit of price sticker damage on the front cover, I'm not too upset by it.

The only thing I could find for this record online is the band has a version of the A side Guard Dog on their myspace page, which you can listen to here: www.myspace.com/tannerband/music/songs/guard-dog-25303458

Tenement - Blind Wink LP - Green Vinyl /100

Tenement - Blind Wink LP - Green Vinyl /100, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Cowabunga Records (2011)

Tenement's Napalm Dream was one of my very favorite albums of last year. Blind Wink is not a proper followup. It's an expanded version of a cassette that the band released themselves that focuses on demos and other tracks that aren't on Napalm Dream or any of their 7"s. I will say straight up I don't like this as much as Napalm Dream. The production isn't as full and about 1/3 of the songs are kind of meandering ideas that don't really go anywhere. That being said, the good songs are very good and even though I personally think they could benefit from some better production, there''s no denying that Tenement knows how to write a hit.

Off With Their Heads / Discharge - Split 7" - Black Vinyl & Red Vinyl /200

Off With Their Heads / Discharge - Split 7" - Black Vinyl & Red Vinyl /200, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Drunken Sailor Records (2011)

I like Off With Their Heads and I've been trying to have a complete collection of the most rare version of the first press of each of their records. This band will drive you to drinking if you try to collect all of the wacky variants out there. That being said, I never had planned to buy the black vinyl & the red vinyl for this one. The red was sold out, so I placed an order for the black with an American distro to save on shipping costs. Then a few more copies of the red went for sale on the label's website, so I had to grab one. I could think of worse things than having 2 copies of this record.

I like the Off With Their Heads song a lot more than most people seem to. Discharge is not my cup of tea at all, but you can check out both songs below:

fluf - 2klb 7"

fluf - 2klb 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Red Can Records (2002)

Back in the 90's fluf were one of my absolute favorite bands. I started to lose interest in them a bit when they released Waikiki and by the time Road Rage came out on Honest Don's records, I didn't feel that they were doing anything all that special anymore. This 2klb 7" came out in 2002 apparently, though I had no clue it came out, most likely because I wasn't paying much attention. 2 Songs, both of which I believe, are also on the Canary Training CD. I do want to keep the fluf 7" collection complete, so I picked this guy up to add to the box.

Also, this made me think, perhaps I can also add a new type of post to the site. Every so often I may take a collection picture of all of the records I have from a given band.  Let me know if you like that idea, though I'm most likely just going to do it anyway!

Unfortunately, I can't find either of these songs streaming online anywhere.  But honestly, if you're going to pick up a fluf record, pick up The Classic Years or Whitey on the Moon:

Sticky Bun (from Whitey on the Moon):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr30Y4uwKk8

Sheela Na Gig (from The Classic Years):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJKI4bfPPtQ

Space Twins - Osaka Aquabus 7"

Space Twins - Osaka Aquabus 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

This 7" came out quite a long time ago and was a side project for Weezer Guitarist Brian Bell. He put out 3 7"s in total (and I believe a pretty shitty CD if I'm not mistaken). Anyway, I've had the other 2 7"s since they came out, but this one always eluded my grasp. Space Twins are OK. They're not great, just above average pop which is why I never hunted down this 7" all that crazily. I wasn't ever willing to pay eBay prices for it. But recently I found it in the used section of a distro I frequent, so I picked it up to complete the Space Twins 7" collection. That CD of theirs was gotten rid of about a decade ago, no plans to reintroduce that to the collection.

Osaka Aquabus:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=afxWRJxBkw0

Marvelous Darlings - Single Life LP - Blue Vinyl /100 & Black Vinyl

Marvelous Darlings - Single Life LP - Blue Vinyl /100 & Black Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Deranged Records (2011)

This fantastic record compiles all of the great Marvelous Darlings 7"s that have been released over the last couple of years. These guys are one of my favorite current bands and this record would have easily been in my top 3 of 2011 had I not already had these songs on 7"s (I can't really justify ranking singles comps at the end of the year). Super catchy, slightly glammy here and there but just a truly great band.

They're one of the bands that I go crazy chasing down all of the variants, so of course I had to get the Blue Vinyl & the Black Vinyl. I don't care too much for the cover art however...

Also, I'm not sure why the link to the song below has that goofy picture attached to it. Sorry, I can't seem to make it go away.

Royal Headache - Royal Headache LP

Royal Headache - Royal Headache LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

R.I.P. Society (2011)

I've got to give all credit to @eekrock for turning me on to this band. Royal Headache hail from Australia, and if you want to try to describe their sound I guess you can start by saying the guitar tone is similar to the treble-y squall of Eddy Current Suppression Ring, though for me that's where the similarities end. I find Royal Headache's songs infinitely more catchy and they are blessed with a truly unique singer. Rather that go for the over blown distorted snot that so many garagey bands employ, Royal Headache is fronted by a singer with a truly soulful voice. Think Otis Redding or Wilson Picket fronting a speed crazy popped out guitar rock band. A unique combo to be sure, but Royal Headache pull it off on what is one of my very favorite records of 2011.

Also, much credit to the US & Australian post offices for getting this to me in one piece considering the distro I bought it from packed it with virtually no protection whatsoever.

Exit Condition - H2SO4 LP - Green Vinyl /300

Exit Condition - H2SO4 LP - Green Vinyl /300, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Boss Tuneage/Drunken Sailor (2011)

3rd of the 3 Exit Condition reissues. I had meant to post this yesterday, but a pretty gnarly cold knocked me out for most of the day. These songs try to create what would have been Exit Conditions unreleased 2nd album had the band not broken up. There's songs here from a few split 7"s (The ones on the Reverse split are especially familiar to me) as well as some unreleased tracks. Again, this is such a huge leap from what they were doing back during the Bite Down Hard era, it makes me extremely curious what the band could have done had they kept going.

At any rate, I'm glad that this sorely overlooked band (even by me) received such a great reissue treatment. I hope more folks have the chance to check them out.

Exit Condition - Days of Wild Skies LP - Blue Vinyl /300

Exit Condition - Days of Wild Skies LP - Blue Vinyl /300, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Boss Tuneage/Drunken Sailor (2011)

2nd of 3 Exit Condition reissues on Boss Tuneage/Drunken Sailor Records. This is the reissue of the band's only full length that originally came out on Meantime records (Also once home to Leatherface, Wat Tyler, Sofahead & more). To call this a huge leap from the band's prior work is doing this record an injustice. The songwriting quality on this record shows a band truly coming into their own. Things are slowed down a bit, more melody is added and the result is a truly great LP.

I never had this record prior to the reissue. I had a few of the band's 7"s and i had the CD comp that Boss Tuneage put out a few years ago, but having the chance to listen to this record in its complete running order really put in perspective what a fantastic and sadly forgotten band Exit Condition was.

Exit Condition - Bite Down Hard/Impact Time LP - Red Vinyl /300

Exit Condition - Bite Down Hard/Impact Time LP - Red Vinyl /300, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Boss Tuneage/Drunken Sailor (2011)

The 1st of 3 Exit Condition LPs reissued on Boss Tuneage/Drunken Sailor Records. And unfortunately, despite the rad artwork, my least favorite of the 3. It takes the band's first Demo Tape & pairs it up with their first 7" along with a few other odds & ends. To me, this sounds like a band still trying to figure it out. Songs are a little fast & screamy for my own personal taste, though I imagine those whose tastes lean more to the hardcore side of things may appreciate this.

I've also decided that when I can, I'll try to post a link to a song off of the record I am posting about when possible. I'm not going to upload anything myself, but if I can find something out there already, I'll pass it on to you.

Hot Snakes - Do Not Resuscitate 7" - Clear Vinyl w/ Gray Splatter -Thanks @chris_whitehead

Hot Snakes - Do Not Resuscitate 7" - Clear Vinyl w/ Gray Splatter - Thanks @chris_whitehead, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Modern City Records (2011)

I can't think of a better first record post of 2012 than a new Hot Snakes 7". This was sold during their recent tour of Europe, though it was not available at their NYC or NJ shows. 2 new to vinyl songs. The first, Do Not Resuscitate, I believe, was originally meant to be a B-side for a single that One Little Indian was going to put out, but was cancelled. 6 Years later, it sees the light of day. if I had to compare it to another song in the Hot Snakes catalog, I would say it is similar in tone to Plenty For All. High on pop, low on anger. This is a direction Hot Snakes was exploring on the B-Side of their last record Audit In Progress and was a sound i wish they had a chance to delve into more. Great stuff.

The B-Side of this 7" is a cover of a Government Issue song called Time To Escape. This was recorded for and released in the video game Tony Hawk's American Wasteland. it was also available on the soundtrack for that game. I actually found both of these songs have been uploaded on You Tube (not by me), so you can listen if you'd like:

DNR:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApIXEbw6ah8
Time To Escape
www.youtube.com/watch?v=emk2YtCiEJM