The Mojomatics - You Are The Reason For My Troubles LP - Clear Vinyl(/100)

The Mojomatics - You Are The Reason For My Troubles LP - Clear Vinyl (/100), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Outside Inside / Wild Honey (2012)

I became a fan of The Mojomatics when their last album, Don't Pretend That You Know Me, was released on Alien Snatch records. Their newest release is on a new label, but the hodge podge of sounds that I loved on their last album are present on this record as well. The Mojomatics is a hard band to pin down. They have some straight up pop songs, some harmonica tinged country ramblers and some swamp stomping garage-y blasts. Definitely a band not content writing the same song over and over and it gives the album a fresh & dynamic feel.

I was lucky to catch the limited to 100 clear vinyl version that was sold during the pre order. Sometimes I think that record pre orders can be annoying (and dangerous if they last longer than the window you can file a complaint with PayPal), but this is a label that did it right. Only a couple of weeks and then the record was in hand. Good job everyone!

The Mojomatics - Behind the Trees:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aYvwUuIklw

The Cry! - S/T LP

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

SP Records (2012)

This is a high energy band of folks from Portland making some really infectious music. There are parts that remind me of Impulse International, though the singer's vocals are more high pitched than Impluse. The guitars are bouncy and lean heavy on the treble side of the sound spectrum. Not tinny like some bands, but the vibe is more of a slap in the face than it is a warm bath.

There was a limited to 100 colored vinyl version of this record available directly from SP Records, but the shipping from Japan was just a bit more than I could justify at this exact moment in time (Totally the fault of the post office, not the fault of the label). Luckily Green Noise is also stocking the record. If there are a lot of records in your collection that have been released by Dirtnap, The Cry! will fit right in.

The Cry!- S/T LP:
thecry1.bandcamp.com/album/the-cry

Minibosses - Brass 2: Mouth LP

Minibosses - Brass 2: Mouth LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Self Released (2012)

For those that don't know, Minibosses are a band that covers old school video game music. They've been at it for quite a while, but this is only their 2nd full length album. When I first heard that the band was releasing a new album plus they were going to put it out on vinyl, I was beyond excited. Then, my excitement came crashing down around me when I heard the price. $35. $35 for 1 single LP record! That's absurd. So I decided I wasn't going to pay that. Now I've paid WAY more than that for an old rare record, but something just wouldn't let me justify shelling out $35 for a record full of video game covers.

Well, the more I debated, the angrier I got, but it was actually a reader of this very website that came to the rescue and offered to buy one of the albums I gave a less than positive review for just about $35. In my head, I can justify that as an even trade. So that money went into my PayPal account and then right back out to get this record.

I will say this, the packaging looks outstanding. 180 gram vinyl, big beautiful gatefold cover. It's a quality product for sure. Plus some of the songs are simply great like the sports medley (with RC Pro Am music!), Kid Icarus & Batman. But then there's about 137 different terrible versions of the Excitebike jingle. Those are such a waste. At the end of the day, I am glad this record is in my collection, but it is just not worth $35. For $20, sure, this is an easy pickup, But if you have to shell out $35 of your hard earned dollars, I can point you to distros where you can pick up 3 amazing records for that much money.

Minibosses - Brass 2 Mouth:
minibosses.bandcamp.com/album/brass-2-mouth

Dunebuggy / Moped - Split 7"

Dunebuggy / Moped - Split 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

spinArt (199?)

I actually forgot to post a picture of this when I wrote up the Dunebuggy LP that I bought recently on Little Black Cloud records. I was one of the first 15 people who ordered, so I received this bonus 7" that the band had released on spinART back in the 90's. The song is also on the LP, but it's a nice little bonus to have in the collection

Mean Jeans - Mean Jeans On Mars LP - Red Vinyl (/300)

Mean Jeans - Mean Jeans On Mars LP - Red Vinyl (/300), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Dirtnap (2012)

When Dirtnap put out the 1st Mean Jeans record, I bought it out of loyalty to one of my favorite record labels. I buy everything that Dirtnap puts out. While I thought the record was pretty good, I was shocked at the huge outpouring of love that record received. So many people thought it was the best thing ever, and I was kind of left scratching my head a bit. Well, Mean Jeans On Mars is a record much more up my alley than their last.

The songs are well constructed much more dynamic that the last record (Well, as dynamic as you can get when your chief inspiration is the Ramones anyway...). It's hard to accuse a band of maturing with song titles likeDon't Stop Partying and Come Toobin' but the songs on this record are just written better. While i still am probably not the huge devotee to this band that many are, I can definitely say it makes a bit more sense to me after listening to this record.

Mean Jeans - On Mars (Full album stream via punknews.org):
www.punknews.org/bands/meanjeans

Collection: Hooton 3 Car - LPs & 7"s

Collection: Hooton 3 Car - LPs & 7"s, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Another all time favorite band of mine, Hooton 3 Car was very much a part of the wonderful Leatherface-influenced scene that cropped up in the UK in the mid 90s. Along with bands like Chopper, Skimmer, Broccoli & Crocodile God, they made me so jealous that I was not living in England at the time. The saddest part is that although I got to see the other 4 bands play when I went to England in 1997, I never got to see Hooton 3 Car live (though I did sleep on their floor and watch The Day Today on VHS with a few of them).

It's hard to describe the music of Hooton 3 Car without comparing them to some of these other bands. They don't play as fast as Chopper or Crocodile God, they're not as angsty as Broccoli, not as poppy as Skimmer, but what they are is a perfect storm of the best elements of all of these bands. Super melodic, ultra catchy but there's something about them that you have to take seriously. Again, they are easily one of my favorite bands from the era and one of the collections I'm most proud of.

LPs:
Hooton 3 Car - Spot Daylight 12" - Rumblestrip - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car - Cramp Like A Fox LP - Out Of Step - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car - Monkey Mayor LP - Rumblestrip - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car - By Means of Maybe CD - Rumblestrip
Hooton 3 Car - Recordings 1994-1998 2xCD - Crackle

7"s:
Hooton 3 Car - Danny 7" - Rumblestrip - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car - Drone 7" - Out Of Step - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car - Driver 7" - Out Of Step - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car / Lovemen - Split 7" - Snuffy Smile - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car / Screaming Fat Rat - Split 7" - Snuffy Smile - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car - Carpet Burn 7" - Damaged Goods - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car / Jesse - Split 7" - Rugger Bugger / Damaged Goods - Black Vinyl
V/A - Club Stoat 7" - Mother Stoat - Black Vinyl

Missing: After years of looking around, I'm pretty confident that By Means Of Maybe never came out on vinyl, but if it did I am missing that and would love the opportunity to buy it.

Hooton 3 Car - Not Recognized:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIr__54dIqE

Hooton 3 Car - Carpet Burn:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVI3zn_jHXw

Hooton 3 Car - Danny (Live):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHyEoYx2yus

The Steve Adamyk Band - Take It Back 7" (#33/500)

The Steve Adamyk Band - Take It Back 7" (#33/500), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Lady Kinky Karrot (2012)

Been waiting on this one for a while. If you're a bit mad like me, when the Steve Adamyk Band record Forever Won't Wait came out you bought the clear vinyl, the black vinyl the US CD and the Japanese CD. Well, both CDs had songs not on the LP. There was a note in the CD saying the remaining tracks were being released as a 7" on an Italian label. Well, I've been watching that label's website ever since and finally the record is up for sale. I'm very excited to finally have the rest of these songs on vinyl as there are just some classics on this 7". Sure, shipping from Italy was ridiculous (plus the label charged me double what the actual cost of shipping was, so that's no fun [05/18/12 Update - The label actually refunded me the difference in shipping, so they're A-OK in my book!]), but in order to keep the Steve Adamyk Band collection complete, it's worth it.

The Steve Adamyk Band - Take It Back:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbotheKy-GQ

Also, last night this silly website had its 10,000th view.  I realize that's not the same thing as 10,000 different people coming to this website, but still, that's pretty cool considering I've only been posting since late December.  Thanks to everyone who's stopped by to have a look.

Spider Fever - S/T LP - Blue Vinyl (/100)

Spider Fever - S/T LP - Blue Vinyl (/100), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Windian (2012)

What started out as purchasing a 7" out of loyalty to a Rocket From The Crypt related band has turned into buying records because I actually like them. After spinning the 1st 2 Spider Fever 7"s that were released, I was figuring that their debut full length would probably illicit a similar reaction in me. But this album is leaps and bounds ahead of anything the band has done up to this point. The songs on this are like the sharp end of a spear, just stabbing you in the face with full on fast punk rock. That isn't to say there aren't hooks and even the occasional melody tucked into the assault, but the one thing most will probably take from this record is that it's LOUD, and sometimes loud is just good.

I wouldn't want to listen to 10 bands that sounded like this, but I'll say that if you are going to listen to 1, having that 1 be Spider Fever is probably a good idea.

Spider Fever - Don't Let Deth Get In The Way
soundcloud.com/windian-records/spider-fever-dont-let-deth SPIDER FEVER - DON'T LET DETH GET IN THE WAY by WINDIAN RECORDS

The Hex Dispensers - Parallel 7" - White Vinyl (/100)

The Hex Dispensers - Parallel 7" - White Vinyl (/100), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Red Lounge (2012)

Very excited for some new tunes from the Hex Dispensers, my favorite Marked Men meets Ghostbusters pop band. We've got 3 new songs that to me, follow a closer path to their last full length album, Winchester Mystery House, than some of their other singles. That's a great path to follow. The band always sounds at their best to me when they are just pummeling downstrokes & keeping the mood dark. If there's any change on this particular 7", I do notice a slightly stronger Wipers vibe than the band has shown in the past, but that's A-OK in my book.

Hex Dispensers - Parallel (Via Bandcamp):
thehexdispensers.bandcamp.com/album/parallel-7

Various Artists - Trouble In Mind 4-Way Record Store Day Split 7" -White Vinyl

Various Artists - Trouble In Mind 4-Way Record Store Day Split 7" - White Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Trouble In Mind (2012)

First off, big thanks to @chris_whitehead for giving me the heads up on a website that was selling a copy of this. Vintage Vinyl wasn't stocking this record on Record Store Day. I do have to say, if you want to sum up Record Store Day 2012, this record is a perfect analogy. Something I usually look forward to, but something that ended up being disappointing. I'm usually super into Trouble In Mind's yearly Record Store Day compilation, but this year, it's just not doing it for me. On the 7" for 2012 are; Mikal Cronin, The Paperhead, The Liminanas and Apache Dropout. Noe of these bands really get me going. But I'm nothing if not a collector and since I have all of the label's other RSD 7"S, I needed this one too.

Mikal Cronin - I Enjoy Being A Boy:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIF-dAdXs6I

Donald "Duck" Dunn - 1941 - 2012

I was extremely sad to hear today that Donald "Duck" Dunn died in Tokyo.  He was such a big part of so much of the music that influenced me when I was a kid.  The first musical memories I have were all based around the Blues Brothers movie & records.  Those songs opened me up to a whole world of rhythm & blues that Donald Dunn had also been an integral part of.

Just take a look at the clips below.  He lived a hell of a life.

Operation Ivy - Hectic 12" - Clear Vinyl (/500)

Operation Ivy - Hectic 12" - Clear Vinyl (/500), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Hellcat (2012)

Figured it was best to post this picture today as a companion to the post about Energy from Yesterday. Same pressing breakdown from Hellcat, though in this instance, I don't get this re-release. It doesn't make sense to me why you would release this as a 12". It did perfectly well as a 7" for years and years. I suppose the sound quality is a bit better, but to me, it just feels like an excuse to charge more money for it. If not for the Hot Topic coupon I found, I would have been really annoyed having to pay too much for this record. With the coupon, it's only a minor annoyance.

Operation Ivy - Hectic:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DXzLNHGTXU

Operation Ivy - Energy LP - Clear Vinyl (/500)

Operation Ivy - Energy LP - Clear Vinyl (/500), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Hellcat (2012)

I almost don't even know what to say about this record. It's one of the best and most important punk rock records to ever come out. It sounds just as exciting as it did 23 years ago. If you don't own it, you're a fool. That's all I can say about the music.

As far as the record itself goes, this is a reissue of the classic LP that originally came out on Lookout. I have an original copy of the record (with the Laytonville address, nerds), but when I heard this was getting re-released with a few colored vinyl variants, the collector in me just couldn't resist. It was re-released on Black vinyl, Red vinyl (only for sale in the Epitaph webstore) and Clear vinyl (only for sale through Hot Topic). I thought the clear vinyl matched the artwork best, plus I saw someone on the Vinyl Collective message board post a $15 of your purchase of $30 coupon online. Managed to pick this up and the re-release of the Hectic EP for about $25 including shipping. Say what you will about Hot Topic, but I'll take those prices.

Operation Ivy - Knowledge:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HtUnubXAO4

Operation Ivy - Sound System:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eKdJnijh50

Roommates - Winnifred 7" - Blue w/ Purple Vinyl

Roommates - Winnifred 7" - Blue w/ Purple Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Slumberland (2012)

Roommates features Ben Cook, famous in my world for fronting Marvelous Darlings & Young Governor, though most know him as one of the guitar players in the band Fucked Up. Roommates is a band that he did with one of his Roommates (crazy, I know). Originally the band released two cassette singles on the label Scotch Tapes (You know, the label that ripped me off on a $75 subscription series a couple of years back), but now they have been given the vinyl treatment thanks to Slumberland records.

I love the songs on this 7", lo fi pop genius. While the recording invokes some of the great 4 track heroes of old, the songs tend to sound a bit like Marvelous Darlings, but without much of the glammy flair that band is known for. I won't go so far as to say it sounds deep and introspective, but it seems to be coming from a different place than the MD or Young Governor songs. The one thing I am most curious about is before Scotch Tapes vanished into the night, these songs constituted 2 of 4 total tapes that were supposed to come out. I wonder if more Roommates records are lurking in our future...

Roommates: Back To The Sun / Girlfriend Swap (You can stream the songs on this website):
www.slumberlandrecords.com/catalog/show/214

Roommates: Kelly I'm Not A Creep / 1st Floor Blues (You can stream the songs on this website):
exclaim.ca/MusicVideo/ClickHear/Roommates-Nn

Dunebuggy - S/T LP - White Vinyl (/100)

Dunebuggy - S/T LP - White Vinyl (/100), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Little Black Cloud (2012)

This was a band kicking around the NJ indie rock scene in the early 90's. Though they were a bit before my time going to shows (living in Sussex county before you got your drivers license pretty much guarantees you're not getting out to many shows) I remember their 7"s always hanging out at the local record stores. This album compiles the songs from some of those 7"s along with unreleased tracks to cobble together a debut album for Dunebuggy all these years later. It's a surprisingly tight collection and flows really well as an album.

At times the vocals seem a bit buried in the mix to me, but I'll chalk that up to 90's recording, plus I've never been a huge fan of bands that have the vocals dominate the recording. This is a great, mid tempo, well crafted indie pop record with some really dynamic guitar parts. It's unmistakably 90's, but doesn't sound old or dated like so many other albums from that time do. Only 100 copies were pressed on white vinyl, so best to grab this quick if you like what you hear.

Dunebuggy - S/T (Via Bandcamp):
http://dunebuggy.bandcamp.com/album/dunebuggy

Flop - & The Fall Of The Mopsqueezer LP

Flop - & The Fall Of The Mopsqueezer LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Dashboard Hula Girl (1992)

This album was a longtime champion of the $3 used CD bin back in the day, and like fellow dust collectors Fig Dish, The Figgs & fluf, I'm not sure why this band didn't catch on when they were in their prime. & The Fall of the Mopsqueezer is such a terrific album of catchy melodic rock with a huge helping of Rusty Wiloughby's outstanding vocals.

I picked up this LP during my recent trip back to Flipside Records on Record Store Day. As I mentioned a few days ago, that place is just packed to the gills with dead stock from the 90s. So while I didn't get any kind of discount on this record, it was pretty cool to pick up a brand new, still sealed copy in 2012.

Flop - Anne:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQYvER7MXiQ

Flop - Hello:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCbqJ0NTAPM

Collection: fluf - LPs & 7"s

Collection: fluf - LPs & 7"s, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

If you had asked me in the mid 90s ('95 - '96ish) to list off my absolute favorite bands, there is no chance I would not have listed fluf. I just absolutely loved these guys. Giant, crunching guitar, big powerful vocals, catchy tunes and tons of energy. Sure there was always some filler on each record, but the hits were monster hits. Plus, they always put a little something extra into the vinyl versions of their records, which is definitely something I can get into.

Sadly as the years went by, I became less interest in fluf's records. Waikiki was only OK, and I didn't really like Road Rage (not pictured) much at all. Still, those first few records & 7"s were a real treat. everyone should at least have Whitey On The Moon and The Classic Years in their collections.

LPs:
fluf - Whitey On The Moon LP - Headhunter - Black Vinyl
fluf - The Classic Years LP - Headhunter - White Vinyl
fluf - Waikiki LP - Headhunter - Black Vinyl
fluf - Wasting Seed 10" - Headhunter - Red Vinyl

7"s:
fluf - Tried 7" - Headhunter - Black Vinyl (Bonus 7" came w/ Whitey On The Moon LP)
fluf- Garbage Truck 7" - Sympathy For The Record Industry - Black Vinyl
fluf / Further - Split 7" - First Strike - Black Vinyl
fluf - Sheela Na Gig 7" - Goldenrod - Black Vinyl
fluf - Moody As The Day Is Young 7" - Goldenrod - Black Vinyl
fluf - 24-7 Years 7" - Silver Girl - Blue Swirl Vinyl
fluf - Skyrocket 7" Headhunter - Picture Disc
fluf - Kim Thayils Paw 7" - Value Club Member - Black Vinyl
fluf / J Church - Split 7" - Goldenrod - Black Vinyl
fluf - 2klb 7" - Red Can - Black Vinyl

Missing: Road Rage LP (Never got round to picking it up, I'll grab it if I see it super cheap). Also, I'm sure there are colored vinyl versions of some of these records that I don't have. I've just never been able to find a really complete discography.

fluf - Sticky Bun:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr30Y4uwKk8

fluf - One Trick Pony:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gi7F6mH0w8

fluf - Sheela Na Gig:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJKI4bfPPtQ

The Jealous Sound - A Gentle Reminder LP - Pink Vinyl

The Jealous Sound - A Gentle Reminder LP - Pink Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Burnt Toast (2012)

I don't want to sound overly harsh towards the record label, as I did get my record and it looks and sounds great, however it is super annoying when you put a record up for pre order in January and it doesn't arrive until May. Cut down the time of your pre order buddy!

The Jealous Sound took an awful long break between records. I was a huge fan of their last album, Kill Them With Kindness and was an even bigger fan of singer Blair's old band Knapsack. When listening to A Gentle Reminder, I'm struck by 2 very specific thoughts. 1. Yep this does in fact sound like the Jealous Sound and 2. Boy, I wish it sounded more like Knapsack.

That's probably a little harsh. A Gentle Reminder is the very definition of "a solid record." There's not a bad song in the bunch, and most of them are pretty good, but there's nothing really on here that jumps out at me. I wish there was a bit more yelling on this record. I said jokingly to a friend that I wish the band had bad lives so they'd be more angry at everything, but what I really mean is that their used to be more fire and angst in Blair's vocals once upon a time. I just miss that a bit I guess.

Check out some of the tunes below and judge for yourself. Despite any minor gripes, I think you'll agree that it's definitely a record worth having.

The Jealous Sound - Your Eyes Were Shining:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUg4sFf0xys&feature=related

The Jealous Sound - Change You:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3Pi2Ytj90c&feature=related

The Creeps - Creeping Me Out 7"

The Creeps - Creeping Me Out 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Art Of The Underground (2012)

I've said it many times, but I really love the Art Of The Underground singles club. If you are not subscribed to this, you are missing out on some great records. I was very excited when I heard that The Creeps were doing an AOTU 7". I really enjoyed their last album and most recent 7"s. I know I've mentioned this before, but the singer reminds me so much of the guy from that old 90's band Reverse. This new 7" is pretty good. I like the music & the vocals, though I don't love the lyrics as much as past records. Just not jumping out at me like their more recent releases. Anyway, it's definitely worth picking up, hell, you really need to just subscribe to the singles club as a whole, OK?

The Creeps - Creeping Me Out (Via Bandcamp):
http://thecreeps.bandcamp.com/album/art-of-the-underground-single-series

Ash - Barbie 7" - Gold Glitter Vinyl

Ash - Barbie 7" - Gold Glitter Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Barbie (1997)

Another LONG time want off the list! I have had such a great run of finding some of these records lately. This 7" was given away to members of the Ash fan club at 2 shows that took place in London in 1997. Needless to say, I wasn't at either of these shows so I've been looking for a copy ever since. I've seen this record sell for way over $100 over the years, and was just never willing to invest quite that much money into it.

Well, thanks to Discogs.com, I managed to find someone willing to sell me a copy for about $30. I'm totally willing to pay that much for this 7". Songs on it aren't special. A halfway decent cover of I Only Want to Be With You and a live version of Kung Fu played approximately 10 times faster than the album version. Still, as an Ash fan with a pretty healthy collection of their records, it's great to add another holy grail to the stacks.

Ash - Barbie 7"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fADe1o-q27g