Tag Archives: Oregon

Song Review- Virus Nine- “Stay Proud! Stay True! Stay Punk!” off the album Blastin’ Away!

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a black and white photo of 4 young men who look serious and just a little bit angry.

Well,  I have to admit that I was not expecting to see this song pop up in any new way as it had been a very long time since it was originally released.  This album was a regular monster of punk awesomeness back when it was originally put out on A-F Records  in 2003.  I definitely found them back at that time because of their association with Duane Peters from U.S. Bombs. He produced this album for them which was a follow-up to their 2002 debut What Are You Afraid Of? which I never found a copy of after hearing it one time at someone’s house in SoCal.  

The good people at Punkerton Records are now putting Blastin’ Away! out again both digitally and on vinyl.  That is all set to drop January 2, 2026 but you can check this great throwback (and still relevant) punk anthem on steaming here: 

https://punkertonrecords.ffm.to/virusnine_stayproudstaytruestaypunk

I had the chance to preview it thanks to Earshot Media and Punkerton and it was just as I remembered it.  Coming in on a chant of the song title over a raw drum line it quickly kicks up on ripping guitars and bass.  The vocals are raw and loud with a feisty rhythm and a call & response section worthy of Rancid.  This vintage track is still strong today and it is great to see it getting some new exposure and hopefully some new fans.  

Pre-saves help the label and the band and you can set yours up here:

https://punkertonrecords.ffm.to/virusnine_blastinaway

And also get a pre-order of that cool vinyl (with limited edition colors …of which the blue, black and white splatter is pretty sweet and what I ordered) here: 

Virus Nine "Blastin’ Away" [Vinyl] (Pre-Order)

Community…just as powerful as always – support yours! 

Release Alert! Treasure Pains & Spares  – Split EP

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Five men wearing t-shirts & standing in front of a grey building looking toward the camera.

Yes, I did just cover Treasure Pains new single “Left To Give” back on August 31st, a track that is actually part of this upcoming EP.  I am less familiar with Spares although I had heard their song “Stalemate” off their eponymous EP which came out earlier this year.  I thought it was an interesting bit of music with an eerie rhythm and melody joined by clipped vocals.  

I had the good fortune to be able to preview this split EP in full and it is definitely a nice set of four songs.  Other than “Left To Give” Treasure Pains also contribute “Strike,” a driving, fuzzy guitar, jumpy drum, screaming vocal piece on the harder side of pop punk. 

The two songs from Spares are “Joke” and “New Indignities.”  That first track has a really cool atmospheric tone with a lilting melody.  It runs 6 minutes and gets a little dense at points but keeps your attention with some jumpy pace changes and interesting lyrics.   The second one is a quick 2:42 of blistering guitars, non-stop vocals and an interesting synth accompaniment.  

This is set to drop from Wiretap Records / Council Records on September 26th and pre-orders can be placed here: 

https://council-records.bandcamp.com/album/split

A couple videos are out (one from each band) if you want a preview of this music:  

three men and one woman toward the camera. Three are resting against a back wall while one man is closer to the viewer.

Your local community needs you –  Get out there and meet some people 🙂

Song Review- JJ Braves- “Fix for a Broken Heart”

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Black and white image of an electric guitar player on stage

Hearing about the release of this single on July 25th my interest was peaked by this part of the press release: 

“JJ Braves is the throwback rock project of LA-based artist Joshua Keever, blending synth-driven hooks, classic rock theatrics, and deeply personal lyricism. Drawing inspiration from the power-chord heroics of Queen and Weezer, the slick pop swagger of Huey Lewis & the News, and even the animated bravado of the Transformers theme song, JJ Braves channels those influences into anthemic, emotionally resonant songs”.

That is an interesting group of influences so I fired it up and was met right away by some grungy guitar tones combined with an 80’s synth groove and some vocal styling {“Ooh, baby do you got somewhere to be tonight”) that fits into that same era.  I gotta say that I had an Outfield flashback…in a good way.   This track does not stay in that lane though which is one of the coolest things about it.  Combining some groovy but varied rhythms, several different guitar tones, well-placed keys and good vocals it feels like a bit of a trip through some vintage musical moments of my life.  This song has a healthy exuberance about it that makes you want to turn it way up and drive down the strip.  

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

Braves also has an upcoming full-length album so keep your eyes and ears out 🙂  

And support your locals – community is powerful!

Song Review- The Dry County Crooks “Broken Bond” from the album Love, Life and Death

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This a song with some deep lyrical meaning hidden in a slightly twangy and upbeat format.  It jumps off with a quick eight seconds of acoustic guitar that sets your expectation on the melancholy side and then…kick, kick, kick you are off at a much faster pace than expected.  The beats and rhythms here are definitely in the outlaw punk lane with some very distinct bass lines framing the track.   This one will have you toe-tapping along for sure.  

I almost reviewed “Picture in Time” for this post and if you have a chance give that one a listen also – it is one of those “simple song” stunners.  

You can check out more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page https://thedrycountycrooks.bandcamp.com/

Your locals need you – so please remember to get out and support 🙂 

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