Bear Trade - Blood And Sand LP - Clear w/ Blue Splatter (/500)

Dead Broke / Everything Sucks (2014)

As soon as you throw around a tagline that says "ex-members of Blocko" I'm going to sit up and take notice right away.  Blocko was one of my favorite UK punk rock bands and to see any of their members moving on to new projects is a wonderful thing.  Bear Trade has been on my radar for a bit, since they released their debut 7" last year.  Expectations were quite high for this full length, but I can say without question that Blood And Sand delivers.

Being able to listen to a full album's worth of material from Bear Trade is kind of eye opening.  I was expecting an album of Blocko style, dynamic palm muted glory.  While there are songs that fit that bill, the rest of the album runs the gamut from Iron Chic style anthemic, "whoa-ohhh" fist raising songs to aggressive, but still catchy, burners like "Nice Boots."  Also, a real stand out track is "Postcards."  It's a song that could only emanate from the UK with it's soft spoken, almost storyteller like vocals that makes me feel like I'm hanging out with old timers telling stories in a run down pub.  It's just an incredibly dynamic track and one of the best of an awfully great batch of songs.

Needless to say, I'm thrilled with the debut full length from Bear Trade.  Despite my high hopes for the record, they still managed to impress me.  Back in the mid 90's, the UK punk scene was the most exciting scene on the planet.  While those glory days may be behind us, with bands like Bear Trade, The No Marks and Stay Clean Jolene leading the way, the future is looking quite stellar.

Bear Trade - Blood And Sand LP:

http://deadbrokerekerds.bandcamp.com/album/blood-sand

Herzog - Boys LP - Yellow Vinyl

Exit Stencil (2014)

Maybe you fall into the same category as me or maybe you don't really pay attention to this sort of thing.  But, I love when record labels have a good email mailing list that keeps you up to date on the goings on at the label and announces any new records that are on sale.  Some may view this as spam, but I view it as information vital to keep me on top of things.  Case in point is this Herzog LP.  Honestly the only reason I heard about it was because I ended up on Exit Stencil's email list (presumably after buying the great Chomp record a couple of years back).  The description caught my eye, so I took a chance on a band I'd never really heard of before.

It was definitely a risk worth taking.  The album starts off right away with "Full Stick," a big drum beat, guitar driven blast with a melodic verse that just reeks of energy and enthusiasm.  It's short, but is an immediate attention grabber that sets you up for the rest of the record.  From there on out the album is comprised of song after song of huge hooks & melodies, gigantic fuzzy guitars and some pretty great vocal melodies, especially considering the band's penchant for a little vocal static in their production.  It's got the kind of Blue Album catchiness that I love, with a slightly lower fi production that keeps it sounding fresh and exciting.

Just listen to the bouncy, lead synth soaked "Mad Men" and I dare you to tell me it's not one of the catchiest songs you've heard this year.  It's just a great album top to bottom and absolutely one worth being on some email mailing lists to find out about.

Herzog - Boys LP:
https://soundcloud.com/exit-stencil-recordings/sets/herzog-boys/s-nDVDI

Klaus Johann Grobe - Traumhaft 7" - Red Vinyl (/500)

Trouble In Mind (2014)

I picked up this Klaus Johann Grobe 7" along with the J.C. Satan record from yesterday to keep my Trouble In Mind 7" collection complete.  While the J.C Satan wasn't really my thing, I get how others like it.  This Klaus Johann Grobe 7" on the other hand, this is totally over my head.

The A-side "Traumhaft" is slow, pulsating and chock full of synth.  The vocals are pretty deep in the mix and the song just chugs along, never really going anywhere other than the one direction it started off.  B-Side "Nicht zu stoppen" is just as weird.  Lots of organ and echoey vocals that seem to just repeat themselves throughout the song.  On the plus side there is a moment that seems like a genuine chorus in this one.  I don't know, I just don't get it.  

I have bought a ton of Trouble In Mind records.  Most of them I love.  Even the ones that I don't love I still think are OK or at the very least good examples of a kind of music I'm not particularly into.  This is the first time that I actually flat out don't like something.  So it goes though, no one's taste matches up with someone else's 100%.  Even though this record is a dud, I'll still be first on line for the next batch of Trouble In Mind 7"s

Klaus Johann Grobe - Traumhaft:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNbS08kQBNY

J.C. Satan - Italian Summer 7" - Blue/Gray Vinyl (/500)

Trouble In Mind (2014)

I buy 7"s from Trouble In Mind like it's my job.  I have every single they have put out on the limited colored vinyl first pressing.  It's a fun little collection to be working on, but at some point I'm wondering if I'll need to start picking and choosing which ones to buy.  It's not that anything they're putting out is bad; but I feel like they used to do a lot more garage-y pop bands and not so many psych bands.  If nothing else, I'll surely complete the first 50 7"s and we'll see where we go from there.

For the A-side "Italian Summer." J.C. Satan are working with a big time 60's vibe.  While it leans more towards a mid tempo flowery children sort of vibe, it's just not quite catchy enough to keep my interest.  The mellow verse does lead into a louder, fuzzier chorus, but I just need a bit more oomph.

The flip side, "I Don't Feel Like Dancing" definitely is a bit more heavy handed with the psych touch.  The song kind of drones on with a guitar that sounds like it's underwater. As far as this sort of thing goes, J.C. Satan is decent enough at it, but it's just not really my cup of tea.

Radioactivity - Danger 7"

Secret Mission (2014)

There's something to be said for consistency.  If you read this website you can count on the fact that I'll only throw around a handful of adjectives.  If you watch any of the prequel Star Wars trilogy movies you can count on being in a bad mood afterwards.  If you listen to a band that Jeff Burke is singing in (Marked Men, Potential Johns, Novice, Radioactivity) you can absolutely count on that record being spectacular.

What you can also count on is consistency in sound.  I would never say something cliche like the songs all sound the same, but the songs are all coming from a similar place.  Fortunately for me, I could listen to songs from a place like this all day long.  Radioactivity, like Burke's other bands, crank out fuzzy, catchy garage pop.  They write hooks better than most bands I can think of.  Even though the 2 songs on this could probably be considered among their slower or more mid tempo tracks, they are still bristling with energy.

Of the two, I prefer the B-side "Why" but both are equally great.  Word is another full length is nearing completion and you can count on me to be buying that the very second if goes on sale.

Radioactivity - Danger 7":

http://noisey.vice.com/blog/radioactivity-seven-inch-stream

Fleshy Mounds - You're Welcome Cassette

More Power (2014)

Let me start off by saying that I'm very grateful to anyone that takes the time to send me something to listen to and review on this website.  It's nice to think (even if I'm just fooling myself) that someone would care about my opinion of a record.  It's also nice to get the occasional free record.  I don't get a lot of people sending me things to review, but considering how I go on and on about how I don't like cassettes, it's remarkable how many tapes I get sent versus those that send me a slab of vinyl to review.  

When this Fleshy Mounds tape came in the mail, I was skeptical.  The artwork and band name made me think it might not be my cup of tea, but hey you never know.  When I popped this guy on, I was floored.  I haven't purposefully listened to something this bad in a while.  Fleshy Mounds sound like every terrible high school VFW hall punk band you've ever heard in your life.  The singer is just shouting and rambling incoherently.  I bet he thrashes around with much fervor when playing live.  The guitar is barely noticeable as the bulk of the music is built around simple bass and a drummer that I can only assume has not been playing all that long.

The songs are slow and sludgy, never really going anywhere.  I don't think any of the songs had a chorus, every one plods along in one direction daring you to continue to listen.  It's like a game of chicken, can you really sit through this whole thing? Luckily it's only 5 songs, so I made it through; but I came out worse on the other side having accepted this challenge.  Again, I appreciate everyone who sends me something to review, but I'm trying to put myself in the head of whoever sent this to me thinking 'yeah, I bet Tim will like that..."

Fleshy Mounds - You're Welcome:

http://morepowertapes.bandcamp.com/album/youre-welcome

Bob Mould - Beauty & Ruin LP - Yellow Vinyl (/400)

Merge (2014)

There are things I am going to write about this record that could make you think that I do not like it.  That could not be more untrue.  I want to start off by saying this is a great record and I absolutely love it; but it's going to suffer some unfair comparisons to Bob Mould's last album, Silver Age.  When I heard Silver Age a couple of years ago, it was a revelation. Bob was back.  

After a string of lackluster rock albums and a horrible electronica mistake; Bob was embracing his inner Sugar and cranking out a powerful set of top notch pop-rock tunes.  It was kind of unexpected as I had figured Bob Mould was just going to be one of those iconic fellows whose best work was behind him.  He knocked that theory on its ass and Silver Age was hands down one of my favorite records of 2012.

With Beauty & Ruin, Bob has the unenviable task of trying to follow up that masterpiece.  Honestly it's just as good.  The only problem is that this time I'm expecting it to be good.  While last record was a surprise, this record has a whole heap of expectations slapped onto it.  That's a tough weight to bear and he does himself no favors by having the worst song on the record, "Low Season," as the album opener.  I was a little nervous after hearing that for the first time.  It's just so sluggish and sounds like back album filler to me.  Things pick up a bit with "Little Glass Pill," but it's still no where near as good as anything on Silver Age.

Luckily by the time you hit the third track "I Don't Know You Anymore" the album just roars to life.  It's fast paced, catchy and has all those great Sugar-esque high spots that you want Bob to hit.  The rest of the album cruises along after that with each successive song being as good or better than the previous.  It's really a hell of a record that probably could just have used some work in the track sequencing department.  While it will be unfairly compared to Silver Age, Beauty & Ruin makes a strong claim as the 2nd best Bob Mould solo record he's put out.  If you liked Silver Age, I just can't imagine not liking this one almost as much.

Bob Mould - I Don't Know You Anymore:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ0ZEpJRpAE

Bob Mould - Nemeses Are Laughing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5Nqhpce2Vc

Blank Pages - S/T LP - Clear Vinyl

Dirtcult (2014)

Every year that I get older, I'm a little more leery of the fact that I'm not quite as tuned in to new records as I used to be.  I try hard to keep up with everything, and I think as evident from this website, I do a pretty decent job and certainly buy my fair share of records.  That being said, last year I blew it with the new Blank Pages record.  Hardware records in Germany put this album for sale with different artwork and a limited to 100 colored vinyl variant.  I completely missed it.  

By the time I had figured out that it had even come out, Dirtcult had announced their version.  Even though there's something to be said about owning the limited, first press, colored vinyl, German import; there's also something to be said with being able to pick this up for 11 bucks with domestic shipping.  Obviously I went that route.

Sure, I'll probably want to find the other version at some point, but only because Blank Pages are just so damn great.  Rising from the remains of the equally incredible Idle Hands; Blank Pages pretty much pick off where that band had left off.  Wipers/Red Dons style, downstroke heavy, dark but fast & catchy punk rock.  They're one of the current masters of the genre.  If The Estranged were writing songs with bigger hooks, you'd be closer to the sound of Blank Pages.

It's absolutely an essential album to pick up, especially since Dirtcult made it so easy to get in America.  Do you have any idea how much I spent on those German Idle Hands records? A lot, that's for sure.  The only problem I have now is not knowing if I can include this record on a top 10 list of 2014.  It's certainly amazing enough to be a no brainer, but the fact that it came out last year in Germany first makes me unsure if it counts.  Thoughts?

Blank Pages - S/T LP:

http://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/blank-pages

Friends Of Cesar Romero - The Hold 7" - Jukebox Edition, Clear Vinyl (/100)

Snappy Little Numbers (2014)

Just a quick post today.  If you want the full scoop on how great the music on this 7" is, just read yesterday's review here: http://www.ibuywaytoomanyrecords.com/2014/07/friends-of-cesar-romero-hold-7.html  Needless to say it's great.

Today's picture is of the limited to 100, clear vinyl, Snappy Little Jukebox edition of the record.  Sure it's a simple little variant, but I just love it.  It's numbered, you've got colored vinyl and I'm just an absolute sucker for those little jukebox tags.  You can probably blame the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Jukebox Series for that.

Not only is this cool, the band was selling it themselves at a shipped price so astronomically low, I'm not even sure how they paid for the shipping.  Punk rockers!  It looks like they still have some left at their bandcamp page: http://friendsofcesarromero.bandcamp.com/album/the-hold-b-w-teisco-telstar-stomp-7

Friends Of Cesar Romero - The Hold 7"

Snappy Little Numbers (2014)

Any label can manage to put out one good record.  There's plenty of examples of this, I don't need to take the time to list them off.  When a label starts to string together several great releases, that's when you know the folks running it are onto something.  And when a label starts putting out great record after great record AND they're from mostly new bands; that's when you know that this is a label you can count one.  Snappy Little Numbers are absolutely starting to fall into that category.

Friends Of Cesar Romero are probably the one of the more senior of the bands on Snappy Little Numbers, but I certainly wouldn't classify them as a household name just yet.  Though they really should be. The A-Side "The Hold" is is a mid tempo, vaguely 60's sounding song, but doesn't come off as a pandering retro throwback.  Background organ flows through  and helps build to a bouncy chorus with a banging snare that punctuates everything.

B-side "Teisco Telestar Stomp" sounds a bit tougher; it's not quite as poppy as side A.  It has a little more punch and it leans more towards a garagey sound.  If you could get away with saying the word swagger and not sounding like a dipshit, I'd say the band has some real, old school, tough kid swagger.  But now I sound like a dipshit.  Regardless, both songs are pretty outstanding and you should really check out everything Snappy Little Numbers is putting out. They're onto something.

Friends Of Cesar Romero - The Hold 7":
http://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/the-hold-b-w-teisco-telstar-stomp

The Estranged - S/T LP

Dirtnap (2014)

When the first Estranged full length, Static Thoughts, came out back in 2008 I was pretty blown away.  The band had taken a Wipers/Hot Snakes downstroke heavy guitar assault and blasted through 10 songs.  That album was easily one of my favorites of the year.  When their second album, The Subliminal Man, came out in 2010, I was a bit disappointed.  While it was still a good record that I enjoyed and played fairly often, it was such a radical departure in sound that I found it jarring.

Now, four years later, The Estranged are finally back with LP number three and this one is a doozy.  I wouldn't say that it's a return to the sound of their earlier work, because it isn't.  But they do incorporate much more of the energy from that time period into this new batch of songs.  You can't help but hear a bit of 80's punk/alternative in their music.  The Cure? Sure maybe a little bit, but certainly not enough to be annoying as first and foremost, The Estranged are a bunch of punk rockers.  Maybe a little darker than your average punk band, but I think they share some traits with the band Crusades.

Regardless, this latest Estranged album is pretty great.  It's deceptively catchy once you've given it a few listens and I'm struck more than anything by the interesting guitar work they employ throughout the record.  While they may have started out bashing away at their strings like the Wipers, they're a significantly more dynamic band than they were six years ago.  As is the usual Dirtnap practice, the first 200 copies are on colored vinyl and amazingly it looks like they still have a few available.  So if that's your thing, you best get moving.

The Estranged - S/T LP:

http://dirtnaprecords.bandcamp.com/album/estranged-the-s-t

Unwelcome Guests - Wavering LP

Dirtcult / One Percent Press (2014)

From 2008 - 2010 or so, Unwelcome Guests were on a tear putting out 7"s. Between their singles, splits and compilation appearances they unloaded a ton of songs and I was only too eager to buy every one of them.  Then in 2010, they released their first full length, Don't Go Swimming.  I didn't find it as exciting as the singles were.  It wasn't bad, in fact it was quite good in places, but the band felt a bit more polished and were lacking some of the energy of the 7"s.

Unwelcome Guests are back in 2014 with their second LP Wavering.  I can assure you any questions I had about their energy level have all been thrown out the window because this album just rips from start to finish.  They manage to combine a rootsy sort of appeal with the hooks and passion of bands like Rumspringer or Your Pest Band.  Then add on a huge helping of lead guitar gymnastics that you'd really only find in bands like Dinosaur Jr. or, if you need a more modern comparison, Tenement. 

Every one of the songs on this album are as great as anything the band has previously released.  This is Unwelcome Guests at the top of their game.  I cannot say enough great things about Wavering.  It's the kind of record that you keep going back to over and over again; each time finding something new to love about it.

Unwelcome Guests - Wavering LP:

http://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/wavering

Hot Snakes - Skateboard Deck

Just because I had a few people ask, here's a picture of my Hot Snakes deck with my new Rocket one.

Rocket From The Crypt - Skateboard Deck

Foundation (1996)

OK, you got me.  This isn't a record, so it really has no place being written about on this website.  But it is music related, and I've been searching for one of these for many, many years so I'm going to make an exception.

This skateboard deck was sold by Rocket From The Crypt during the 1996 Warped Tour.  Considering it was such a big festival show, I wondered if Rocket would really translate, having only seen them in smaller venues prior to this.  I went to 2 of the dates for that years Warped Tour and Rocket just kicked ass both times.  When they played up in Vernon, NJ near the old Action Park it started pouring rain right before they were about to play.  They just went out anyway and destroyed in front of the 30 or so people brave enough to stand in the storm.  It's one of my fondest Rocket memories.

Anyway, the skateboard itself was one of the things they had at their merch booth.  Frankly, I didn't have enough money for it at the time.  I didn't have enough on me on day one and then I just forgot about it on day two and once again didn't bring enough money to buy one.  I've been looking for one ever since.  It's been estimated that there were about 100 of these made (just an estimate, I cannot confirm that as an official 100% accurate number - but it's probably close). So needless to say they haven't shown up for sale too often in the intervening 18 years.

I had the chance to grab one a few years ago from another person on the Swami message board, but just couldn't come up with the funds at the time.  Then, one finally showed up on eBay the other week.  At $150 (buy it now), it is certainly quite a bit more than it would have cost if I had picked it up at the Warped Tour, but I just couldn't stand it not being in my collection anymore.  So I grabbed it.  I don't skateboard, but I'm just thrilled to have one of these.  Especially as I expect it to look pretty amazing hanging on the wall next to my Hot Snakes skateboard deck!

Wye Oak / Telekinesis - Split 7" - Blue Vinyl

Merge (2014)

The Or Thousand Of Prizes singles club from Merge rolls into June with a split 7" offering from Wye Oak and Telekinesis.  Merge has been very timely with these records.  I don't want to jinx it, but so far this is the best, most consistent roll out of a singles club that I've ever seen.  Hopefully they keep on going strong.

Musically, I can't say the series has been as consistent for me.  Wye Oak employs a clean guitar sound with some electronica and ambient sound effects.  High pitched, other worldly vocals glide over top.  There's a few Beck songs that have a similar flair, but those were always the Beck songs that came off as a bit pretentious to me.  Wye Oak sure sounds like they are trying to be important and artistic, but to me it just comes off as being boring.  "Better" kind of reminds me of "Chariots Of Fire" or some other pseudo-inspirational schlock befitting a slow motion scene in a movie.  There's a somewhat interesting moment towards the middle where Wye Oak indulges in a louder, synth driven solo; but it immediately reverts back to being boring again to close out the song.

Telekinesis, on the other hand, are much more exciting.  Building off of a loud, crunchy guitar with a hooky verse and strong vocals that don't rely on fuzz or other trickery (though there is a slight echo on the chorus).   I can't say that I was really familiar with this band, but I'm pretty impressed with this song.  Though I could not in good conscious say they are as good as Mikal Cronin, I feel like Telekinesis is aiming for a similar place.  Worth checking out.  

Hospitality / Lambchop - Split 7" - WhiteVinyl

Merge (2014)

For the month of May, the Merge Records Or Thousands Of Prizes singles club dropped another new 7" on my doorstep.  This time I was presented with 2 bands that I had heard of, but never really listened to much at all.  This split would be the first chance I'd have to spend any real quality time with either.

First up is Hospitality.  While the female fronted vocals and wonderful backing harmonies create some very sweet melodies, this band sounds kind of old.  Not necessarily in a good, cool throwback sort of way.  They just sound dated, like they're trying to exist in a completely different time.  There are a lot of genres ripe for a revival, though I'm not sure 70's easy listening is really the one to champion.

Still, I find Hospitality significantly more interesting than Lambchop.  Like Hospitality, they kind of reek of the 70's, but this band seems to be yearning for the days of the lounge piano player.  The song starts simple, and builds, but it doesn't really build into anything all that interesting.  It's kitschy in the way that songs like "MacArther Park" are, but that doesn't make it good.

Knapsack - Silver Sweepstakes LP

Alias (1995)

This Knapsack record has been a missing piece of my record collection for quite some time.  Though I've had Silver Sweepstakes on CD for ages, I just never was able to pick up a copy of the LP.  Not that the album is particularly rare.  In fact, in comparison to the 2 other Knapsack LPs, Silver Sweepstakes is usually downright cheap.  But, it was always a bit more than I was willing to pay.  When I saw this one hanging around on eBay for $20, that was the sweet spot I've been looking for.  I can absolutely justify $20 for this record.

Silver Sweepstakes wasn't the first Knapsack record I had heard, though it was their first.  I came on board for 1997's Day Three Of My New Life.  I did backtrack pretty much right away and pick this up, but foolishly went the used CD route as oppose to grabbing the vinyl.  While I do think that Silver Sweepstakes is probably the weakest album in Knapsack's catalog, it's still pretty great.

I have a Knapsack sticker that says "Committed To Dynamics" on it.  That is a good summary of Knapsack's music.  All of their songs keep a dynamic balance between gut wrenching emotion and sincerity with an aggressive guitar barrage.  Some of my favorite songs on their debut have always been "Cellophane," "Casanova" and "Centennial."  Vocalist Blair always knew just where to put in a satisfying gravely yell to really drive home the point.

If you hadn't heard Knapsack before, I'd encourage you to start with their best album "This Conversation Is Ending, Starting Right Now," but every record this band put out is worth owning.  They played a reunion show in NYC a few months ago that was incredible.  I can only hope that somehow leads to more records.

Kanpsack - "Casanova":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfzF8mxTF1k

Knapsack - "Centennial":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1W-iS_wiWs

Gentlemen Rogues - Mocking Love Out Of Nothing At All 7" - Purple Vinyl

Shifting Sounds (2014)

After their fantastic 10" EP that came out last year, I was eager to hear more from Gentlemen Rogues.  They answered the call with this 2 song 7" that really showcases their songwriting chops and ear for great melodies.

The A-side is "Mocking Love Out Of Nothing At All."  It's a mid tempo song that takes me back to bands like Tugboat Annie.  The crunchy verse builds nicely into an intricate guitar jangle chorus with fantastic backing vocals and dynamic guitar work.  The B-side "Mountains Of Your Head" is a Buffalo Tom cover and you can tell that Gentlemen Rogues do take inspiration from the sort of big time 90's pop band scene that Buffalo Tom was a part of.  It's a nice version of the song, but Gentlemen Rogue's originals are so good, I'd probably just prefer another instead of a cover song if I had my choice.

Still, it's a great little 7" and once again I'm eager to hear more.  I read that the band is currently recording for another EP.  Come on guys, enough with the EPs, let's get a full length going!

Gentlemen Rogues - Mocking Love Out Of Nothing At All 7":

http://gentlemenrogues.bandcamp.com/album/mocking-love-out-of-nothing-at-all-single-new

The Both - S/T LP - Blue Vinyl

SuperEgo (2014)

It seems like it's been way too long since the last Ted Leo LP came out, so I was pretty excited when I heard that he was finally working on something new.  Sure, it wasn't a new Pharmacists record, but Teddy hasn't let me down yet.  What we ended up with is The Both, a collaborative project with Aimee Mann.  While it's a good listen and quite enjoyable in places, it never soars as high as Ted's usual work with the Pharmacists.

In general, I'd say the biggest thing holding this record back is its lack of energy.  The songs tend to be pretty mid tempo and there's really nothing in the way of raised voices, shouting or any real outpouring of enthusiasm.  From what I've heard of Amiee Mann, this is downright punk rock from her usual records, but for Ted Leo it feels like he's being dragged down a dark path into mom-friendly NPR rock.

That probably sounds worse than it actually is.  When they pick up the pace a bit, like on the songs "Milwaukee" and "Bedtime Stories," the record is actually very compelling with great back and forth vocals and some quality harmonies.  But those are bright shining spots on record that otherwise just kind of fades into the background whenever I put it on.  It's not bad, it's good.  But what it isn't is great and that's what I usually sign up for when I buy a Ted Leo record.  I hope he's on the phone with the Pharmacists planning their next record.

The Both - "Milwaukee":

https://soundcloud.com/superegorecords/milwaukee

Against Me - Unconditional Love 7" - Picture Disc

Total Treble (2014)

Picture discs have always been an odd bird for me.  While I can appreciate that they can look pretty cool sometimes, there seem to be a lot of instances where I just don't see the point.  Particularly since they often don't sound all that great when compared to a normal record.  This Against Me 7" is one of those records.  You can have a picture disc like Rocket From The Crypt's Boychucker 7" that's just bursting with artwork and color.  But this very minimal, very black and white illustration just isn't screaming out to me that it needs the picture disc treatment.  Plus with all of that blank space, couldn't they put the band name on there somewhere instead of slapping that gigantic sticker on the sleeve?

Anyway, musically it's pretty good.  "Unconditional Love" is a song that I really like, though it is already on the last Against Me full length, so this 7" only exists to me as a vessel for the B-side.  "500 Years" is also pretty good.  Just drums and acoustic guitar.  Slower than you'd think without much of the angst that the band can be known for, but still a good song.  It makes sense to me that it's a B-side, though I'm not sure it's strong enough to really anchor this record.

At the end of the day, you still have to respect what Against Me is doing.  This 7" was $5 in the store I was at.  Almost every other 7" I looked through was between $7 - $10 dollars.  If nothing else, at least Against Me and Total Treble are keeping their prices punk rock.  I'm always happy to support that and this record is absolutely worth every penny of the $5.