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Non-stop rocker Alien Nosejob, aka Jake Robertson, returns to earth with his second full-length record of 2020, finally bringing the high-octane hardcore punk side of the band to an LP. Hot on the heels of January’s "Suddenly Everything Is Twice As Loud" LP, Nosejob carries on their winning streak and wordy album titles with "Once Again The Present Becomes The Past", which instead follows in the footsteps of the November’s "HC45" 7; merging early 80’s hardcore and late 70’s NWOBHM. "Once Again The Present Becomes The Past" started life as a concept record about Australia’s first and largest air raid, the 1942 Bombing Of Darwin. However, while grappling with this heavy subject-matter, something from Norm Macdonald’s book, of all places, stuck with Jake: "The Present Became Past Again". History is forever repeating itself. It continues to happen. It will happen again. As the record took shape, it was fleshed out with the help of his new reel-to-reel recorder, turning crust and hardcore influences into the dark and cold array of songs documented within. Find out why Alien Nosejob is one of the rare signifiers of both quantity AND quality. 150gr vinyl come housed in a 24pt jacket with lyric insert and download card. Art by Ginklet. Mastered by Mikey Young. Everything else was done by Alien Jake themselves. (Iron Lung Records/2020) -
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One of the most familiar faces in the busy Melbourne music scene; Jake Robertson (who you may remember from such class acts as Ausmuteants, Hierophants, School Damage, et al) returns in full-fledged form with another unruly record from his solo alter-ego ALIEN NOSEJOB. Thirteen months on since the hardcore-punk inspired concept album, ‘Once Again The Present Becomes The Past’, Alien Nosejob turns the ship back to front and sails in a new direction, yet again. Paint It Clear mixes sounds of classic 80’s new wave and post punk whilst sprinkling in the occasional disco track on top. But don’t let these descriptions throw you off - it still carries Robertson’s classic screech of cheeky yet witty lyrics and sharp songwriting hooks. After three home-recorded records prior to this, Mikey Young has finally been phoned in to take over the production controls and breathes a whole new way of life into Alien Nosejob. Never before has ANJ been heard in such fidelity. The clarity! The definition! The dynamics! It all shines brighter than ever before resulting in a record that Robertson’s “parents could actually listen to”. There’s a little something for everyone; whether it be 80’s Cure-inspired synths in Duplicating Satan, the robust Devo-like feel of Leather Gunn, the sing-along chorus of Crusader of Coles, or the melodic, minor closer that is Bite My Tongue. There’s even The Butcher; a piano ballad inspired by the Fun Boy Three, showcasing Jake’s skills as not just a songwriter, but a damn fine singer. Paint It Clear is Alien Nosejob’s fourth full length record since 2018 - it certainly proves he a nose for these things. (Feel It Records/2021)
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ALVILDA are Nina, Eva, Sandra and Melanie and is the best power pop inconnue! Four ALIEN SNATCH! pandemic pop pearls parisiennes! Seems the four gals starring the SHANGRI LAS on "Leader of the Pack", but are the ones riding Lambretta motor scooters picking up the DOGS. The are the french version of Belfasts' PROTEX, their four-song debut 45rpm has the trademark lofi-mod to power pop drive and add some yé-yés of their idols, LES CALAMITÉS and some ice-melting RONETTES surf harmonies and back ups. Fans of NUMBER ONES, WHIFFS, BARRACUDAS, TV CRIME and PROTOKIDS put a heart-shaped cardboard file next to your A´s- After Last Night 45 until release date. Record comes in two double sided printed cover cards in super clear sleeves.This is ALVILDAS first recordings from December 2020 at Château Vergogne Studio. We´re in love toutes le nuits already. (Alien Snatch Records)
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A reissue of the third single on All the Madmen Records from 1980. The single was recorded at Spaceward Studios in Cambridge where The Mob, Swell Maps and Stiff little Fingers all recorded. Andy Stratton was a sixteen year old punk from Somerset who hung out with The Mob and the Yeovil punks. The drummer on this single was Graham Fallows who was still a member of The Mob at the time these two songs were recorded. Andy had never played a gig under his name but decided to go into a studio and record these two gems. I Don’t Know is a glorious punk pop nugget that has style and sass. Think a mix of the Buzzcocks’ Pete Shelley vocally Pete Fender’s only 7” Four Formulas (For The Eradication Of Microbes) and the early Good Vibrations records releases. The flip Evil Minds is a more laidback and bleak track that leans heavily on the influence of the Mob. After this 7” Andy went on to form the greatly under appreciated Null and Void. Comes with insert featuring an interview and a few pictures. Label: Sealed Records
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Bad Nerves are a 5-piece Powerpop-RocknRoll band from East London. Every now and then you come across a band that is dangerously good, or is it nice and dangerous? The East London garage-punk-Britpop band Bad Nerves is one of them. You are instantly captivated by their energy that CERN in Switzerland can envy. An irresistible (Molotov) cocktail of The Ramones, Radioactivity, The Clash, Libertines, The Strokes and Jay Reatard - but at 78 rpm. And all that with an uber cool young and snotty punk rock attitude and sense of style as in the best days of The Clash. Label: Suburban Records Barcode: 8716059011813
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Recorded at a rustic, sunny, hillside ranch known as Prairie Sun Studios in Cotati, California, during a month long recording session in the spring of 1996. Each member of Bracket brought with them every musical instrument and noisemaker that he owned or could borrow. These included a vintage Wurlitzer upright piano, professionally “de-tuned” for a honky-tonk effect, a complete array of vintage guitar effects, various instruments and percussive toys, just to name a few. Tracking was done on a Neve console, purchased from Pete Townsend’s Eel Studios in England. It was previously used to record landmark albums by Thin Lizzy, The Who, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Motorhead, The Damned and countless others. Session musicians were brought in, among them a string quartet, woodwinds, horn section, keyboardist, pedal steel player, and guest vocals. Bracket had plenty of songs, imagination and time. Here’s what resulted while the record company wasn’t paying attention… (SBÄM Records – SBAM75)
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Neo-Mod act the Carpettes began as a Stones-influenced school band, formed in the small northeast Norman town of Houghton-le-Spring in the mid-l97Os, the trio of frontman Neil Thompson, bassist George Maddison, and drummer Kevin Heard shifting to punk before signing to Small Wonder as a Mod revival act. By the time they joined the Beggar’s Banquet roster in 1978, Heard was replaced by Tim Wilder (with Simon Smith of the Merton Parkas briefly in the fold). Sophomore album Fight Amongst Yourselves is arguably their best, the appealing material ranging from the socially-relevant power-pop of the title track and the pop-punk of ‘The Reason I’m Lonely’ to the reggae cadences of ‘The Last Lone Ranger’. (Radiation Records)
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Must have Power Pop, this is the latest album from Italian Power Pop/Punk band, known for playing power pop with a garage rock attitude. They released their debut 7” on SF based Punk label Rip Off Records in 1999. Since then, they’ve released two LPs and numerous EPs and splits. For Fans Of: The Rip Offs The New Bomb Turks The Real Kids The Infections (Puke N Vomit)
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If you’ve ever spent any time in the darkest recesses of the internet, you’ll know that ‘powerpop’ is an emotive term. For every pockmarked tenderfoot flying the flag for some fuzzed-out alterna-rocker’s harmony-drenched new single, there’s a grizzled veteran insisting that there’s not enough jangle, not enough hook, not enough oomph on display (‘I hear the pop, but where’s the power?’). Basically, if you thought ‘what is punk’ was a granular debate, trust me: you ain’t seen nothing yet. Anyway, sidestepping the fact that I clearly am one of their kind, let’s just say a quick ‘fuck those nerds’. This is where Class come in. Class are a four-piece from Tucson, AZ, who are most assuredly all the power, all the pop, all the time. They’ve served time in a bunch of bands you already know and love – most notably everyone’s favourite ‘delinquent slobs’ Rik And The Pigs – and Matt Rendon of their citymates The Resonars is the guy behind the mixing desk, so you know whatever comes out is gonna be good. ‘2-4-1’ compiles the two cassettes they’ve released on Cincinnati’s Feel It Records (which also released their debut LP proper, ‘Epoca De Las Vaqueros’) and it’s absolutely rammed with new pop classics. ‘Steady Hands’, ‘Wrong Side Of Town’, ‘Inspect The Receipt’, ‘Left In The Sink’… get learning these titles now, ’cause you’re gonna get very well acquainted when you spin ’em until your needle’s worn down to a flattened-out nub. Sound-wise, it’s pop music as envisioned by the punks – straight to the point, no fucking about. Some of these songs feel like Alex Chilton playing ‘September Gurls’ on a curious cocktail of cheap speed and wayyy too much sugar; others are kinda like the aforementioned Resonars if they ditched their British Invasion records and got obsessed with a heady mixture of The #1s and Richard Lloyd’s ‘Alchemy’. Sometimes it just sounds like a forgotten late 70s punk classic, so I think we’re all in the right place here. It’s scuzzy and scuffed up in all the right places, with blazing guitar solos and crashing drum fills designed to get you where you need to go, with a minimum of fuss. ‘Class’ is an apt name. As you’d expect from a band with three vocalists, there’s more than one style at play here, meaning this record pulls from enough varying strands to keep things interesting without sounding unfocused. There’s no time to get bored, unlike when reading my drivel. What the fuck are you waiting for? This is power pop at its best, punk at its funnest, a whale of a time in less than 30 minutes. Let the nerds wage war on each other – clearly, I’ll be reading it – and claim your own victory by playing this one to death. This band are in a class of their own, and if I’ve not laid it out explicitly enough, you need to start listening. Now. Label: Drunken Sailor Records
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Clive Culbertson was bassist in Irish band Sweat/ No Sweat who put out a couple of Thin Lizzy inspired power pop singles, on the excellent Rip Off Records, in the late 70's. In the early 80's Clive went solo and released this infectious power pop two sider on Rip Off Records. Two absolute killer tracks on this reissue, with "Time To Kill" and "Busy Signal". Harsh and speedy Powerpop! Very rare powerpop & punk gem! (Mad Butcher Records)
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The first ever vinyl collection that includes all the collectable 7” singles from this amazing Dutch Power Pop / New Wave band. The PNV collection not only compiles all three Dutch only 7” singles released between 1980-1981 but also unreleased studio recordings from the same period. De Cylinders feature a 6-piece line up with cool keyboards and great female vocals giving the songs an extra level of catchiness. The songs are amazing hook filled classic early high energy 80s New Wave. For Fans Of: Blondie The Shivvers Rudi X-Ray Spex The Beat (Projectile Platters Records)
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Deniz Tek is best known as a founding member of the influential Australian 70's independent rock band Radio Birdman. Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, the guitarist / singer / songwriter has long been based in Australia, maintaining an active and prolific solo career as well as spearheading Radio Birdman's ongoing revival. He has also toured and recorded with many of the iconic figures of Detroit rock's greats: MC5, The Stooges, The Rationals and Sonics Rendezvous Band. Mean Old Twister is the follow-up to 2013’s acclaimed "Detroit", and will features the same band – bassist Bob Brown and sometime ATOMIC ROOSTER and SPINAL TAP drummer, Ric Parnell. Mixing of the album was supervised by noted producer and Birdman frontman Rob Younger Standout tracks include the straight ahead, high-powered guitar rockers; Burned Black and Prison Mouse; Comanche, a shimmering surf instrumental; the Stonesy ballad Table For One; and Free At Last, an all-acoustic diversion from the electric guitar attack. European version of the album features a different cutting of the master, a new layout and a digital download code. (Wild Honey Records)
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THIS IS A PRE-ORDER! YOUR RECORD WILL SHIP ON OR AROUND 25.04.23, THANKS! It took Rouen, France over five-hundred-years to find an act as fiery as the execution of Joan of Arc, but they finally found one in the Year Of Our Lord 1977: Dogs. The absolute picks-of-the-litter and best-in-French-new-wave-rock-show, Dogs (no ‘the’), over the course of nine albums, two dozen singles and EP’s left behind an undeniable legacy, none fiercer than on their first recordings for the Melodies Massacre label. This collection compiles Dogs’ earliest releases: the ‘Charlie Was A Good Boy’ 45 and ‘Go Where You Want To Go’ 12 inch maxi-single. Fully and officially licensed from Melodies Massacre for the first time, including notes from Melodies Massacre founder Lionel Herrmani and featuring many never-before-seen photos from the band’s halcyon days, this compilation serves as the definitive portrait of the artists as young Dogs. A must for fans of all music, but especially Eddie & The Hot Rods, the early Scientists, the Flamin’ Groovies, and the Heartbreakers. Rouen, France got that Dog in ‘em – now you can as well! Label: Reminder Records
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The return of the classic Demonstration Tapes double LP on vinyl from the one and only Dolly Mixture. Originally self released in 1984 – this 27 track set collects the band’s demos from 1979 to 1983 of perfectly executed pop, indie pop and ’60s girl group gems. The sound is raw but the charm and pure-pop songcraft manages to shine through. Dolly Mixture should have been massive – so just sit back and enjoy these charming songs that have aged like a fine wine. Original copies sell for silly money and even the Germs of Youth reissue sells for over £100. This reissue comes with a brand new sleeve design. (Spa Green Records)
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Industrial Records - the label of Throbbing Gristle first released this pop gem in October 1980 and it was possibly the straightest yet weirdest release the label ever did. Dorothy was described as a 19 year old with no prior releases, but was actually Max the drummer from Rema Rema with help in the song writing department from Alex Ferguson from Alternative TV and Genesis P-Orridge. I Confess is a perfect super cute pop ditty with lyrics that sound like a catholic confession. The flipside Softness is a DIY Disco dancefloor nugget with Dorothy's silky smooth vocals. (Sealed Records)
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EERIE FAMILY is an asteroid shot out of the stellar belt of the infamous HEX DISPENSERS orbit right when heat absorption got insane. A fantastic gloom-pop debut album by Alex Cuervo (keyboard/vocals) and Alyse Mervosh (drums/vocals). Regardless of gravitational interactions you will be pulled into their black hole of darkness and surrounded by an immense undead orchestra. Catchy garage doom, headspinning vocals, and a creepy backbeat. The synth & drums hits are so spooky that you feel watched constantly and wonder if this is a megalo-martyr explosion or a skeleton wedding. The vinyl has two bonus songs which will not be on any digital release. First pressing comes on a heavy 180 gram vinyl edition, 400 black vinyl copies, 100 copies clear white vinyl with disruptive black swirls (mail order only), all sleeved in uncoated cardboard and black inners. Dead or alive, out of Texas or Hell, those zomboids will spill black blood in Europe in August 2020. Release date is 12/31/19. (Alien Snatch! Records) https://aliensnatch.bandcamp.com/album/eerie-family-s-t
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Empire was an offshoot of punk legends Generation X, very influential for the ‘80s Washington D.C. hardcore and UK neo-psychedelic scenes, acting somehow as the missing link between new wave and grunge. “Expensive Sound” was originally released in 1981, their music was raw, bare, warm —distinct from the glacial, antiseptic pop that would dominate the decade. While “Expensive Sound” may be better known for the bands it inspired — the neo-psychedia of The Stone Roses and the athletic fretwork of Fugazi — they deserve appreciation on its own merits: one of the finest guitar pop records of the era. Empire was an offshoot of Generation X, and their only LP “Expensive Sound” remains an obscure (yet highly rewarding) listen. Originally released in 1981, the same year Gary Numan and Soft Cell were raking in big bucks with their noir-flecked brand of retrofuturism, “Expensive Sound” was out-of-step with the climate of commercial music. Their music was raw, bare, warm — distinct from the glacial, antiseptic pop that would dominate the decade. The album was neither totally forward-looking nor nostalgia embracing. Instead, “Expensive Sound” does what great albums tend to: preserves a specific moment in time. There's an arid, unvarnished quality to the recordings — typified by frontman Derwood Andrews's voice and words. He sang with uncommon fragility and in a soft, almost diffident voice. There's little reverb, almost no double tracking, and absolutely no attempt to Americanize his delivery. The subject matter is rendered in a similar, disarmingly plain way. Boredom, depression, unrequited love, and existential dread are treated in equal parts —sans one song about playing the electric guitar (the aptly titled ‘Electric Guitar’). While Derwood's lyrics exhibit some of the doom-and-gloom sentiment of post-punk progenitors Joy Division, they are almost Holden Caulfield-esque in their simplicity. Empire's response to adversity is delivered with a shrug and a sigh. If Andrew's bashful vocals are part of the charm, his expressive guitar playing is the main attraction of “Expensive Sound”. As the sole guitarist on the record, he demonstrates a versatility unusual for the band's punk roots — deftly maneuvering between chunky, minimalist riffing (like on ‘Hot Seat’), vast swathes of dark noise (’Empire’), and lacerating, tightly coiled leads (‘Safety’). While “Expensive Sound” may be better known for the bands it inspired — the neo-psychedelia of The Stone Roses and the athletic fretwork of Fugazi — they deserve appreciation on its own merits: one of the finest guitar pop records of the era. (Munster Records)
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The turn of the century was heady times. The thought of how an underground power/pop/punk band should exist in the aftermath of the Green Day Nineties was a proposal that hung heavy with apprehension, confusion and bewilderment. While a difficult construct to navigate, this is the unlikely Portland, Oregon setting we see the Exploding Hearts erupt from. Drawing spiritual inspiration from the likes of the Buzzcocks, Undertones, and Nick Lowe, the attitude and implied delinquency of the Exploding Hearts was more in line with that of au courant Naughties Warped Tour line-ups. The band also considered themselves peers with the scuzzier side of “The” rock bands at the top of the 2000s. The intersection between Detroit garage punk, Goner Records and the shelves at Hot Topic is a seldom tread land, but it was fertile with potential. With ten undeniable songs clocking in at just 28 minutes, the Hearts' indisputably essential Guitar Romantic operated as the punk rock equivalent of Ernest Hemingway’s writing: Nothing extraneous, simple, straightforward, to the point, deserving of no additional flourish or accoutrement, with every creative decision pushing forward the work as a whole. Arguably, perfect. The album immediately felt strong. It felt classic. It felt…destined for bigger things. Yet barely three months after its domestic release, with momentum building and Lookout! Records sniffing around, band members Jeremy Gage, Adam Cox and Matt Fitzgerald, all barely in their twenties, would die in a tragic van accident that ended the band. The intervening two decades has found Guitar Romantic bubble up from a below-the-radar cult classic to a genuinely acknowledged and appreciated touchstone of its time. As years have carried on with the album rightfully landing on countless “Best of” lists, this record is somehow still ascending and growing. With that in mind, the passing of Guitar Romantic co-writer “King” Louie Bankston in 2022 served as inspiration for Six to place the album with an appropriate and caring long-term home after years of planning to self-release. Six approached only one label - Third Man Records - who immediately agreed to take up the mantle of the record that was near and dear to their collective hearts. Guitar Romantic (Expanded & Remastered) doesn’t just present the album with a sharp, spiffed up remastering. It also found original album producer Pat Kearns spinning the old reel to reel and archived DAT tapes for the first time in twenty years. This enabled Six to drop in nuggets like little snippets of pre-and-post-take studio dialogue amongst band members, adding audible life to a record that for too long has been overly-associated with death. If that weren’t enough, the remastering uncovered the previously forgotten organ-heavy “King Louie Mix” of the fan favorite “I’m A Pretender.” Even more intriguing was the discovery of a completely unheard take of “So Bored", previously not even known to have been recorded at the Guitar Romantic sessions. Of most excitement though is a remastered version of “Busy Signals” (a song originally released on a small-quantity 7-inch in January 2003). Label: Third Man Records Barcode: 0810074422710
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The turn of the century was heady times. The thought of how an underground power/pop/punk band should exist in the aftermath of the Green Day Nineties was a proposal that hung heavy with apprehension, confusion and bewilderment. While a difficult construct to navigate, this is the unlikely Portland, Oregon setting we see the Exploding Hearts erupt from. Drawing spiritual inspiration from the likes of the Buzzcocks, Undertones, and Nick Lowe, the attitude and implied delinquency of the Exploding Hearts was more in line with that of au courant Naughties Warped Tour line-ups. The band also considered themselves peers with the scuzzier side of “The” rock bands at the top of the 2000s. The intersection between Detroit garage punk, Goner Records and the shelves at Hot Topic is a seldom tread land, but it was fertile with potential. With ten undeniable songs clocking in at just 28 minutes, the Hearts' indisputably essential Guitar Romantic operated as the punk rock equivalent of Ernest Hemingway’s writing: Nothing extraneous, simple, straightforward, to the point, deserving of no additional flourish or accoutrement, with every creative decision pushing forward the work as a whole. Arguably, perfect. The album immediately felt strong. It felt classic. It felt…destined for bigger things. Yet barely three months after its domestic release, with momentum building and Lookout! Records sniffing around, band members Jeremy Gage, Adam Cox and Matt Fitzgerald, all barely in their twenties, would die in a tragic van accident that ended the band. The intervening two decades has found Guitar Romantic bubble up from a below-the-radar cult classic to a genuinely acknowledged and appreciated touchstone of its time. As years have carried on with the album rightfully landing on countless “Best of” lists, this record is somehow still ascending and growing. With that in mind, the passing of Guitar Romantic co-writer “King” Louie Bankston in 2022 served as inspiration for Six to place the album with an appropriate and caring long-term home after years of planning to self-release. Six approached only one label - Third Man Records - who immediately agreed to take up the mantle of the record that was near and dear to their collective hearts. Guitar Romantic (Expanded & Remastered) doesn’t just present the album with a sharp, spiffed up remastering. It also found original album producer Pat Kearns spinning the old reel to reel and archived DAT tapes for the first time in twenty years. This enabled Six to drop in nuggets like little snippets of pre-and-post-take studio dialogue amongst band members, adding audible life to a record that for too long has been overly-associated with death. If that weren’t enough, the remastering uncovered the previously forgotten organ-heavy “King Louie Mix” of the fan favorite “I’m A Pretender.” Even more intriguing was the discovery of a completely unheard take of “So Bored", previously not even known to have been recorded at the Guitar Romantic sessions. Of most excitement though is a remastered version of “Busy Signals” (a song originally released on a small-quantity 7-inch in January 2003). All of these songs are included here, housed in a beautiful gatefold packaging and still all fitting on a single LP. Label: Third Man Records Barcode: 0810074422697
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Complete 12 song demo recording from 1985 by Seattle’s own pop punk/grunge pioneers, The Fastbacks. Recorded in Seattle on a 4-track cassette portastudio with the classic Lulu-Kim-Kurt line up with Richard Stuverud (of War Babies and Three Fish Fame on drums). Remastered by Kurt Bloch in 2021 and unreleased as a whole in any format until today. Tracklist: Side one 1 In The Summer 2 Apologies 3 Last Night I Had A Dream… 4 Time Passes 5 Seven Days 6 Everything I Don’t Need Side two 1 3 Boxs 2 If You Tried 3 Was Late 4 Call It What You Want 5 Set Me Free 6 Somebody To Love Label: Hey Suburbia
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Twelve Rock and Power-Pop anthems. Strictly limited to 300 copies !!! This is a collection of alternative versions and rare studio recordings dating from 1973 to 1981. Including all time hit «Shake Some Actions» as well as a cover of «Paint It Black» by THE ROLLING STONES among other perfect Pop Punk Rock hits. (Tigers Archive)
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Jed is the second studio album by Goo Goo Dolls, originally released in 1989 by Metal Blade Records. It was the band's first album in which John Rzeznik sang vocals for some of the tracks; the majority of the songs are sung by Robby Takac, with Rzeznik taking over for two ("Up Yours" and "James Dean"). The album was named after painter Jed Jackson, who was Robby Takac's art teacher at Medaille College and who painted the cover artwork, which is entitled "Arkansas Sunset". (Metal Blade Records)
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Father of All Motherfuckers is Green Day’s thirteenth studio album. (Reprise Records)
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Limited to 1500 hand numbered copies on orange vinyl with black splatter. 'The Lemonheads' is the eighth studio album by the Lemonheads, released in 2006, marking their return from a nine-year hiatus. This new pressing, the first since 2007, is released via Hassle Records for the UK/EU, in conjunction with Vagrant Records to celebrate their 25th Anniversary. "Punk's Not Dead! The Marvellous Return of Evan Dando. The Lemonheads is a moody, giddy, charming album, as ragged and dynamic as those the band were making half a lifetime ago. It's a small miracle that Evan Dando is still alive. It's a slightly bigger one that he can still fend off maturity with such ruffled, wide-eyed panache" Uncut (Oct '06) "Dando has revived the Lemonheads moniker and signed up drummer Bill Stevenson and bassist Karl Alvarez, both veterans of Eighties American punk-rockers The Descendents. The result is a more focused, less varied sound, and none the worse for that. Tight and passionate, "Pittsburgh" could be by an American version of The Jam, while "Become The Enemy" could have been written at any time in the past 20 years, its catchy indie-pop setting providing a stable footing for Dando's account of a collapsing relationship." The Independent (Sept, '06) Label: Hassle Record Barcode: 5060626464513
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It's hard to believe that it's been close to fifteen years since Dirtnap first released a Marked Men record. Since then, the label has done close to twenty releases by their various bands, (Marked Men, Radioactivity, High Tension Wires, Potential Johns, Mind Spiders). If you count the releases Mark Ryan and/or Jeff Burke had a hand in recording, that number goes even higher. It's a relationship that continues to this day, if there is/has been a "flagship band" for Dirtnap, Marked Men and their various offshoots are it. The band hasn't released any new material since 2009 (the last album came out in 2008.), and they probably won’t, so this singles comp is as close to a new album as it’s going to get. Marked Men still plays a handful of shows every year, but has no plans to release any further new material. Their affinity for fast, choppy power chords and manic energy is well-collected here: “Like Robots” carries a propulsive floor tom x guitar line a la Buddy Holly with some harmonizing oooh’s. “That Kid” is all snotty “gonna beat you up” energy, fueled by bubbling instrumentation. “Go Cry” ramps this notion up yet even more. Lead track, “She Won’t Know” has all the 70s feels - leather jackets and motorbikes fueled by TaB and orange Crush. The ballad-like “The Other Side” flirts with deeper feelings with a slowed-down sincerity, while "Whip Myself” leads off with a ringing guitar-lead-in and gives way to an ultimately melodic vs melancholy punk breakup song. The band stretches its legs throughout this solid closing credits collection and shows why it’s one of the leaders of a sound that has never gone (or will go) out of style. This LP collects all non-LP tracks released by the Marked Men, originally released in the period between 2003 and 2010 on labels such as Dirtnap, Swami, No Idea, Shit Sandwich, and Mortville, plus 2 never-before-heard unreleased tracks for deep in the vault. (Dirtnap Records)
