Album Review-The Gits- Frenching the Bully

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Back in the spring of this year when I first heard that Sub Pop was going to compile and release a bunch of material by The Gits…well I was seriously pumped for sure.  I was not part of the Ohio scene where they started or the Seattle scene that they moved to but was of course paying attention to that latter sound as it developed.  At the time the only music that I had heard from them were the two songs they contributed to Bobbing for Pavement (A Seattle Compilation) which I had somehow come across at a record store in Oceanside, CA.   Right away the energy of the music and the voice of Mia Zapata caught my attention and stuck with me.  In the many intervening years since I have heard a few other songs here and there (each of them reinforcing that first impression) but have never been able to land any of the full releases from the band.  I have a vague memory of seeing a copy of The Best of the Gits in a bin around 2012 and not having any spare cash to purchase it.  Oh well at the time but now it is a brand new day with these fresh re-issues coming from Sub Pop.  

I went with purchasing Frenching the Bully first as it was the one I always thought of as “the one to have.”  It was the only album released while Zapata was still alive and also the one most talked about in conversations with others.  It is hard to explain just how blown away I was by the full set of 13 songs but let’s just go with – this is an absolute powerhouse band, operating at a very high level and the true range and versatility of Zapata’s voice is on full display.  Even though they came out of the Seattle scene that also spawned the “popular grunge” sound that we may all roll our eyes at…this is not grunge music in any way.  The Gits manage to blend a few different punk styles with rock and a little metal.  A really furious and glorious combination.  

Musicians on this:  Mia Zapata (vocals), Matt Dresdner (bass), Steve Moriarty (drums) and Andy Kessler (guitar).

Once you check this one there are more out there – all available from the link below.  If you own this or any of them, well, you have a real piece of music history.  

https://thegits.bandcamp.com/music

And if you have the inclination …think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

And support your locals – community is powerful!

Song Review- Joker’s Republic – “Welcome Back” off the upcoming album The Hand You’ve Been Dealt

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There young men, two standing and one squatting down, lean against a graffitied wall. They are dressed mostly in black and have a casual, at ease look about them.

As you may already know, the well-deserved hype about this upcoming album has been building for awhile.  It will be out on Punkerton Records October 10th, and was announced back in July via several channels including their label and Earshot Media.  Since then they have released the singles “Break the Cycle,”  “Panic! Panic! Panic!” and “Dead Inside” and were a late addition to the Supernova International Ska Festival.  Those singles were great music and really highlighted the best thing about Joker’s Republic; namely that while they are often categorized as a ska band (and have plenty of chops in that genre) they really are this pretty cool blend of ska, punk and rock & roll.  

This newest release features Billy Smollen (bass) stepping out front to sing a story which is based on a real event, namely an auto accident.   In the Earshot Media press release he describes the song this way:

“‘Welcome Back’ is a meditation on the aftermath of a stressful experience and how we recover and push forward. In this case the inspiration was a car accident that totaled my car while the band was on tour. The accident itself was terrifying, and the only thing that helped me get through the resulting financial and emotional trauma was my friends, family, and the ska and punk communities.” 

This track leads off with a nice guitar riff and then rises up on drums and bass with a rock groove for the first minute or so.  It then kicks out into a ska break with that pattern holding throughout the song.  It is a combination that works well and Joker’s Republic deliver a lot of energy via their playing and the vocals.  This song is another good example of the unique style and range of this band. Combined with the quality of the other singles released to date I expect the full album to be quite a statement. 

Musicians on this (in addition to Smollen are): Austen Grey (guitars, vocals) and Pat Elwood (drums, vocals)

Check it out on your favorite streaming channel (link below) – and let me know your thoughts about it – music makes for good conversation 🙂 

https://ffm.to/jokersrepublic_welcomeback

And if you have the inclination …think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

You can also pre-save the album here:

https://ffm.to/jokersrepublic_thehandyouvebeendealt

And support your locals – community is powerful!

Song Review- Jayden Seeley  –  “Amplified” 

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A young man wearing a white t-shirt, flannel shirt and trucker cap looks slightly off camera right. He appears to be smiling but a cup in his left hand covers his mouth,

This one is listed as having come out back in May of this year on Hopeless Records although it did not cross my path until a little while ago – not sure if I missed a memo again…which is possible.  When I first listened to the song it did not click in my head that Seeley’s former project was With Confidence, a band that was on Van’s Warped Tour a couple times (2016 & 2018).  I had caught an interview with them (likely via a YouTube post) on the 2016 tour, lost track and then picked back up by listening to their 2018 album Love and Loathing.   That is a solid album, in the young adult-alternative groove with some catchy riffs and a bit of range in the composition of the songs.  You can still check that album and there other music on Bandcamp. 

Since his time in With Confidence Seeley has expanded into producing and developing some young artists.   That work has included songs and projects with Zach Hood, The Wrecks and Ryan Oakes among others.   He signed with Hopeless Records in 2023 according to the bio on his jaydenseeley.com website.  

“Amplified” starts on a loud rock guitar sound with some buzzy distortion and proceeds on a good rhythm-driven run for a solid 2+ minutes before it drops down for a few moments of slow space and then rides out on the faster groove.   Really good mix and production on this track also with some clear vocals and instruments.   This is some engaging music and it will be interesting to see what else Seeley puts out as part of this solo project.  

You can check out more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page https://hopelessrecords.bandcamp.com/track/amplified-1

Support your community and be a good neighbor 🙂 

And please think about purchasing this song after you listen – streaming music does not pay much even times a thousand…

Let me know you think! 

Song Review- Sadlands- “Bad Idea” off the upcoming album Try to Have a Little Fun

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Two men and two women in a wooded settings - one man sits on a tree swing as they all look toward the viewer.

If you want to get a good idea of where the musicians who make up Sadlands come from you can start with these bands:

Answering Machine – Out of Brooklyn, NY  – I first caught them on their eponymous EP in early 2018.   The songs on this are powerful alternative music with some different grooves that keep you interested throughout the four song run.  “Stadium Dreams” is my favorite here.  

Choke Up – The only song I had heard from this Boston band is “Crosses” off of their 2015 album Black Coffee, Bad Habits (cool naming points credited!).  This song is quite the musical journey from a jangly tone and kicking beat at the beginning to an elevated vocal and then back down into a a kind of grungy middle.  I later checked out the full album and it hits somewhere in the emo-punk genre but trending toward punk.  I went back to purchase it on Bandcamp while writing this but no purchase button exists…if someone has a purchase link or a copy to buy please send me the info! 

Ellen and the Degenerates  – I first encountered this band via “Going on a Trip,” a single they released in 2018.  It literally is about going on a car trip and just about a perfect recitation of what a long roadie is like.  Definitely punk in style and a sense of humor…always good.   They also have a really good album from 2019 called Return of the Herb.

So, some of the talented people from these bands came together to form Sadlands whose only prior release that I am aware of is a self-titled EP from 2023.   In my opinion the stand-out track on that is “McClellan” which has a very infectious driving guitar vibe and a vocal track that runs just a little off-pace at times … in a kind of breathless way that works well.  

And that gets us to this single from Sadlands upcoming album (on Wiretap Records) which should be out October 17th.  “Bad Idea” is a punchy, pop-punk song in the best tradition of the early Go-Go’s.  And I am talking about those  Go-Go’s songs you probably have not heard much of – the kind they used to play at Whisky a Go Go back in the late 70’s long before Beauty and the Beat came out.  I never heard it live but if you can find a copy of Return to the Valley of the Go-Go’s you will hear what I mean.  

This track leads off with a great guitar and drum sound that is soon joined by a fast-paced vocal line that seems to be rushing to somewhere.  The bass here also booms majestically over every measure, lending a heavy buzz to the music.  A really groovy and infectious song…you can play this one and feel good.  

Musicians on this are:  Jess Lane (vocals, guitar), Sam Campanile (vocals, guitar), Harley Cox (drums) and Louis Rabeno (bass).  

Stream this here: 

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/sadlands3/bad-idea

And you can pre-save the album here: 

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/sadlands3/try-to-have-a-little-fun/

And if you have the inclination …think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

That local community you walk through everyday…is awesome…stop and smell the flowers 🙂 

Album Review- Meghan Clarisse-  Shadows of a Ghost Town 

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A dark haired woman in a white cowboy hat smiles as she looks toward the camera.

Adam Dawson at Broken Jukebox Media was kind enough to loop me in on the release info for this album (thank you!) and I spent the last few days playing it as I drove around the Eastern US.   My combined knowledge about Clarisse prior to this amounted to a single I caught on Apple Music (“Ain’t Going Back” feat. Sienna Shalhoub) and a YouTube video of an interview her and Todd Clayton gave to KUSA-TV.   After getting this press release I did some more research and was impressed with her album Kindred Spirits from 2024. This also features some other musicians from Colorado including Dan Kamis, Jordan Yewey, Joe Oeser, Stephen Jourdan, Michelle Castillo and Chelsey Webb.  

Shadows of a Ghost Town leads off with “Bright Lights” which is a slow-tempo classic with a subtle melody line playing under a melancholy tone.  The lyrics on this track highlight Clarisse’s songwriting chops and that continues to shine throughout the album.   The third selection “Copper and Quartz” lends a very nostalgic old west vibe to a love song that works well.  Another notable song for me is “The Ghost of California” which gives a bit of a lullaby quality to lost loves and good-byes.  Throughout this album the clarity of Clarisse’s voice is extraordinary and really adds to the emotion of her storytelling.   A very worthy collection of eleven songs that I suspect are going to increase her visibility in the country and bluegrass genre. 

This will be released in full on September 26th via Howlin’ Dog Records and you can pick up a CD copy here:

Also available to check on your favorite streaming channel – and let me know your thoughts about it – music makes for good conversation 🙂 

And if you have the inclination after listening to that streaming service  …please think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

And support your locals – community is powerful!

Album Review- Larry Keel & Jon Stickley – EP

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Two men sitting on a couch with acoustic guitars - they are smiling and dressed in jeans and jackets

Hearing that these two guitar masters had joined forces to put together this EP was fantastic news.  My familiarity with Keel was rather lacking having only heard his single releases  “Love” and “Faster Horses” which you can still check out here on Bandcamp.  His playing on those two tracks was enough to make them memorable for sure.  The Jon Stickley Trio was a band I was more familiar with having enjoyed their classic albums Lions, Lost at Last (which is quite a tour de force of bluegrass and flat-picking) and Maybe Believe.   They have a few more out there which you can also check out here on Bandcamp.

So, what to expect of this release?  Well, given prior experience I was hoping for a lot of flat-picking guitar magic and interesting song composition.  After listening to the five tracks on this EP I can say that they brought that and more to the music. I was not sure how many lyrical numbers there might be and was surprised to find that three of the tracks hit that mark.  These songs (“Sailor Suit,” “Pioneers,” and “Starborn”) cover a range of themes and blend over a little from their usual bluegrass/ folk styling into alt-county.    There are of course also some really intricate and wonderful picking moments (check “Sailor Suit” around the 2:22 mark or “Starborn” around 1:44) – really groovy! 

 The instrumental songs (“Future Ghost” which is my personal fav on the EP and “Take the Air”) really showcase how well these two masters play off each other and incorporate their individual playing into well-crafted music.  These are acoustic, instrumental tracks that are engaging and thoughtful.  

Overall this EP is a keeper and one to pick up at your earliest opportunity. 

Many thanks to Dreamspider Publicity for including me in the release notes for this album!

Check it out on your favorite streaming channel (link below) – and let me know your thoughts about it – music makes for good conversation 🙂 

https://larrykeel.lsnto.me/keelstickleyep

And if you have the inclination …think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

Be a Good Neighbor – it builds an awesome community! 

Song Review- SUNBENDR- “Stay All Night”

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three casually dressed men standing in front of a white-washed cement brick wall. They are looking at the viewer.

Ok, so an unapologetic love song can go several ways once you hit play, not all of them especially pleasant.  We all have our own definition of what those not-so-great qualities might be but I tend to steer away from the really sappy side of things.   I had reviewed the prior release from this band (“Stick Up”) back in June and liked it a lot.  This new single is definitely in a different vein but does not go off the rails for me.  Instead it is a positive & breezy track with some cool guitar moments and a catchy hook.   Hopefully they are playing this at some of their shows as I bet it makes for a good gig moment.  

Note that this track is the third one released from what I understand was a five song session with producer George Perks (You Me at Six, Enter Shikari).   I will be interested to hear what comes out next! 

Check it out on your favorite streaming channel (link below) – and let me know your thoughts about it – music makes for good conversation 🙂 

https://onerpm.link/StayAllNight

And if you have the inclination …think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

Remember your community people and places – we all need each other 🙂 

Song Review- Bicycle Inn – “Longsword (4th Place)”

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5 young men, casually dressed and standing in front of a body of water similar to a lake. They are looking out toward the viewer.

The only song I had heard by this band prior to being able to check out this new single was “Clear My Head” off a 2018 release (that you can still get on Bandcamp) called opening doors for strangers.  In addition to a pretty cool bashing drum start it has some simple but poignant lyrics which is all good; however, the thing that made it more interesting was the change of pace right at the end.  It goes from a classic emo groove to a heavy, scream-out vibe which makes a difference if you ask me.  It works pretty well but also felt a little bit forced coming all in the final few seconds.   They have released other music but that was my reference point when I hit play on the new release.  

“Longsword (4th Place)” has a bit more of a pop feel mixed in with the general emo-centric musical composition.  I think that styling decision works well as does the harder guitar riffs.  This track keep that change of pace and feel I liked in “Clear My Head” but does a better job of incorporating it into the overall flow of the music.  If you get those good headphones on (or zen out in a quiet space) you will also find some intriguing nuances of melody and rhythm on this song.  Overall, a cool one to listen to and hopefully a preview of more music to come.  

Musicians on this are:  Noah Aguiar (guitar, vocals), Josh Giaquinto (percussion), Declan Moloney (bass), Gilmar Perez (lead guitar) and Dylan Ilkowitz (guitar, aux vocals) and Ryan O’Rourke from Innerlove. adding some guest vocals 

Check it out via streaming  (link below) – and let me know your thoughts about it – music makes for good conversation 🙂 

And if you have the inclination …think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

That local community around you is full of interesting people – take a minute to get to know them 🙂 

Song Review –  Mugger – “This is Ours” off the upcoming album Want the World 

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A black and white photo of two women and two men in front of a convenience store.

To go back in time first (as I am prone to do so often) let’s revisit sometime in late 2015 (maybe early 2016?) when I first stumbled upon the band Creepoid and an album called Cemetery Highrise Slum.  You know those moments when you are merrily clicking your way through the used CD’s and muttering to yourself…magical times for sure.  In this case I was out in Santa Cruz having a grand old time of things.  Anyway, I stopped short on this one mostly because of the title as I do like an interesting string of words.  I had never heard of the band but of course purchased it anyway.  It took a bit after that for it to make it to “play” position in my stack of CD’s and vinyl but when it did it was quite the interesting listening session.  It is music that is hard to put a label on and psychedelic-groovy-alt-punk is not really close but let’s go with that for now.  It is still available on Bandcamp (including a 10 year anniversary re-issue of the vinyl).  

All of that to say – Anna (vocals) and Patrick (drums) Troxwell from Creepoid are currently part of Mugger and lend their talents to this early single from the upcoming EP.  There is a heavy vibe to this track with some grungy, distorted guitars & bass and a nice hardcore style with just a touch of heavy metal mixed into the sound.   Clocking in at a quick 1:27 it is a purposeful and direct blast of energy.  

Other musicians on this are: Lisa Alley (bass) and Daniel Fried (guitar). 

You can pre-order this EP (due October 24th from Quiet Panic) here:

https://mugger-tx.bandcamp.com/album/want-the-world

And please remember to support your local community 🙂