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

Greensleep - Cheap Headphones LP

Dead Broke (2017)

Whenever Dead Broke starts alerting the world that they have a new record coming out, I always go and give it a listen.  About 80% of the time, I usually end up buying the record right there and then.  Such was the case with Greensleep, a band that was apparently kicking around in the mid 90's, but who have recently gotten back together to put out their first full length.

The album runts the gamut of incredible 90's indie and punk influences.  They manage to pull everything together to make a sound that's their own, but if you dissect the album song by song, you can start to see the similarities with others.  On "Restrepo" I'm reminded heavily of the Comedy Minus One band Minutes with it's indie rock vibe.  Moving on to "Cheap Headphones," you can pick out Pavement like twinkling guitar in the verse mixed with a blast of Superchunk fuzz in the chorus.

I can't help but hear a little bit of American Steel on "2nd Avenue," particularly in the vocals. Then I listen to "Pillar To Post" and I hear Fig Dish, but on "Like 4 Like" I can't stop thinking of the band Delay.  There are so many sounds to choose from, but they're somehow all great and also amazingly blend into a cohesive album.  It's pretty remarkable when you think about it.  If you like an indie rock leaning band that throws in a little fuzzy and catchy punk rock from time to time, Greensleep would probably be right up your alley.

Greensleep = Cheap Headphones:

https://deadbrokerekerds.bandcamp.com/album/cheap-headphones

The Blues Brothers - Gimme Some Lovin' 7" - Clear Blue Vinyl & Black Vinyl

Atlantic (1980)

Another Blues Brothers 7" from my Jukebox plans that didn't pan out.  But that's only for the black vinyl version in the background.  While I was grabbing these singles for the jukebox, I started noticing just how many Blues Brothers 7"s were out there with picture sleeves.  As I didn't own any of them, I decided to start picking up a few of them.  I just tried to buy another one yesterday, but some guy in Belgium was trying to charge me twenty four Euro to ship one 7".  I don't know, that just seems crazy to me.

I found the picture sleeve, blue vinyl version up on eBay.  It appears to be some sort of promotional version, though the sleeve itself is light with information.  It does pitch that the movie is coming out on June 20th, so I assume this was released prior to that.  

The two songs are two of my very favorite by the Blues Brothers.  Both appear on the soundtrack album and both also were on the Best of the Blues Brothers album.  I wore these songs out as a kid, listening to them over and over.  These songs are strictly studio affairs, no live audience at all.  In the case of "Gimme Some Lovin'" it is also a completely different version that what is played in the movie (though admittedly, they only play the first few seconds of this song in the movie before Bob shuts them down at his country bunker). 

"She Caught The Katy" is definitely one of my top five Blues Brothers songs. I love the slowly building intro and the laid back vibe of the whole song.  The horns are expertly placed and the harmonica solo in the middle is just perfect.  So many memories attached to these.  I'm still on the hunt for more picture sleeves.  As most were released outside of America, the postage is going to make them a bit tough to track down.  I'm going to give it a try though.  In particular, the Japanese picture sleeves look incredible.  I hope I'm able to find some of those.

The Blues Brothers - "Gimme Some Lovin'":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_r37wVxrbA

The Blues Brothers - "She Caught the Katy":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hB3eCv_FOk

Static Eyes - The Thaw 7"

Kitschy Manitou (2017)

I received this Static Eyes 7" in a little pack of records sent to be reviewed by Kitschy Manitou.  I was immediately drawn to the artwork and decided this would be my first spin.  Unfortunately, the art ended up being my favorite part of this 7".

All three songs sound really dated.  Not in a fun retro way and not in a way that makes it seem like the band is carrying a torch for days long gone.  It just sounds old and out of touch.  I'm sure there will always be a segment of people who like the sort of yell-y garage punk that Static Eyes is dishing out.  You know, the fifty year old Maximum Rocknroll subscriber and the others who just can't give up on their leather jacket with 80's hardcore band patches.  

More than anything it's the vocals that just don't do it for me.  I need a little bit of melody, without I can't overlook the thud of the bass and the wild guitar that don't really go anywhere.  Mostly, this just sounds like the sort of sloppy, angry punk that kids write in high school.  I never went to those shows when I was in high school. The bands from my area sounded too much like this.

Static Eyes - The Thaw 7":

https://staticeyes.bandcamp.com/album/the-thaw-2

Kerbivore - All Dressed CDEP

Urban Sleep (2016)

Allow me to describe the complete ass backwards way I discovered this band.  Kerbivore is from Staten Island, NY.  As recently as last month, they played in Asbury Park, NJ - only 45 minutes or so away from where I live.  Did I discover this band while I was out at a local show?  Did word of mouth sperad of a local band that I had to check out?  Nope.  When I was in Japan the singer of the band 2 Sick Worry told me about the record label he was doing in Japan and then he sent me a handful of CDs he released.  Kerbivore was in that stack.  I had to go to Japan to hear about a band that's playing in my own backyard.  Sure seems weird.

Anyway, this Kerbivore CD is pretty great.  I'm reminded a lot of the band Golden City, one of the post-Christie Front Drive bands that was around for five minutes or so.  Mix that knack for pop with a hint of Dinosaur Jr. style fuzzed out guitar pyrotechnics and blend in some of the ramshackle energy of Demolition Theater era New Sweet Breath and I think that's starts to paint a decent picture of what you can expect from Kerbivore.  On of my favorite things is when a band is writing pop songs, but is skillful enough to complicate things a bit, but not lose that inherent hook and catchiness. Kerbivore pulls that off pretty flawlessly.

All five songs are hits, but the closer of the EP, "My Apartment's a Mess," really drives things home and makes me hungry for more.  The fact that these guys were just playing locally a few weeks ago is hopefully a sign that they're working on so new tunes.  I'd sure like to hear a full length from them.  Thanks for the CD Yu!

Kerbivore - All Dressed Up (It was released on cassette in the US as well, this is the US label's Bandcamp page):

https://unblinkingearrecords.bandcamp.com/album/all-dressed

The Chinchees - The Chinchees LP

Self Released (2017) 

The Chinchees come from Minneapolis and this is their debut album.  To say this one has caught me by surprise would be a massive understatement.  I received this LP right as I was in the very thick of my '2017 is really a down year for new releases' lamentations.  The very second the needle hit the wax on this one, I completely reevaluated that statement.  Sure, 2017 may not quite have the same number of amazing releases as some of the more recent years, but with an album like this floating around, it's pretty hard to say it's been a dissappointing year for new music.

What gets me the most about The Chinchees is how they straddle the line between Marked Men style fuzz pop and Superchunk-like catchiness.  The hooks are more reminiscent of early Superchunk, but that have the sort of speedy intensity that you find in the Marked Men.  I don't care how you want to split the difference, the fact is that The Chinchees have quietly dropped one of the best two or three albums of the year.  And to think, I could have missed it while I was complaining about 2017.

This particular version is the first pressing that the band self released.  Dirt Cult records has stepped in and is handling the repress.  Hopefully that will help spread the word about The Chinchees.  This debut album of theirs is just great and everyone should have the chance to hear it.  Plus, Dirt Cult did a repress on colored vinyl, so I'm debating grabbing one of those at some point even though I already have this copy.  That's how good this record is.

The Chinchees - The Chinchees:

https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-chinchees

Shoplifters - Believe CD

Waterslide (2016)

Give all the credit in the world to Waterslide records.  I don't think I would have ever found this incredible band from Serbia called Shoplifters without them.  I try really hard to stay up to date with new bands, but Waterslide is on a totally different level.  Back to Shoplifters, this is one of those bands that I would best describe as playing exactly the kind of music I want to listen to.

To me, the most noticeable and easiest touchstones to compare them to would be Big Drill Car mixed with Snuff.  Now, I have to throw in a slight caveat, as they remind me of early, primo, Snuffsaid/Reach era Snuff.  The chaotic punky guitar blasts, the incredible breakdowns and the anthemic vocals that make you just want to jump around singing along.  Add to that the melodic punch of Batch era Big Drill Car and this is an album I can really get behind.

The highlights are too many to list, I could say something about every song if I had the space, but just know that top to bottom, this is a killer record.  If you are like me and have a difficult time giving up on the sounds of the 90's, Shoplifters will help stem the tide as we slip further into the twenty first century.  I only wish I had heard this record last year as it would have assuredly been quite high on my end of the year album list.  Go get it!

Shoplifters - Believe:

https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/album/believe

Smalltown - Fall Into Line 7"

Bridge of Compassion (2002)

Fall Into Line was the second Smalltown 7" released back in 2002.  I first came across these songs when Snuffy Smile released the Smalltown singles compilation, The First Three Years.  As I mentioned when I reviewed Smalltown's 2000 Stuck 7", these are my very favorite songs that Smalltown ever released.

There's just something about these early tracks that exude a youthful energy and a ramshackle vibe that feels punk rock.  The recording quality is totally fine, but still rough enough around the edges to sound a little dangerous.  The way these guys managed to keep their pop side (not too dissimilar from The Odd Numbers) equally balanced with their gruffer more punk leanings was something that always stood out to me.

There remains one last early Smalltown 7" out there that I need, their split 7" with Down And Away.  If anyone knows where I can score a copy of that, let me know.  Also, checking around discogs, it seems I somehow missed out on an entire album of theirs that came out in 2013.  I'm going to have to look into that as well.  While the later Smalltown releases never quite lived up to the brilliance of these first singles for me, I have really enjoyed everything the band has put out.

Smalltown - "Fall Into Line":

https://smalltown.bandcamp.com/track/fall-into-line

Smalltowm - "Tomorrow":

https://smalltown.bandcamp.com/track/tomorrow

Holiday - California Steamin' LP - Green Vinyl (/300)

Brassneck / Pumpkin / Antikorper Export / Prejudice Me (2017)

I think I'm listening to more UK punk rock bands right now than at any time since the mid 90's.  There's something of a renaissance going on where melodic guitar punk is coming back around again.  Holiday is a band that is new to me, but they've released one heck of debut album.

There's something instantly familiar about this band that hits me the very second I pop this on the turntable.  At first I just couldn't place it.  It was the vocals.  They really reminded me of something I just couldn't nail down.  Then Kazu from Waterslide records pointed out to me that they reminded him of Goober Patrol.  That was it, that was the comparison I was looking for.  Vocally, Holiday have a lot in common with early, Dutch Ovens and Truck Off era Goober Patrol. You're not going to get the kind of grit the Goobers were throwing around by the time they got to Vacation, but instead it's a smoother raspiness from their early days.

These vocals combines with a swirling, punked up guitar sound that harkens back to Mega City Four to give Holiday a distinct, but familiar sound.  It's very much a call back to the UK of the early 90's while staying current and exciting.  California Steamin' is a true highlight of 2017 and is easily one of the best records I've heard all year.

Holiday - California Steamin':

https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/holiday-california-steamin