Tag Archives: Wiretap Records

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 🙂 

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 – Treasure Pains  –  “Left To Give” 

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Three men and one woman, casually dressed and looking toward the viewer. They look comfortable and at ease.

As I am always tracking the news as it pertains to Wiretap Records (seriously one of the very best punk labels in the country) I was happy to see this song released on that label.  I had been following this band’s music since the latter part of 2024, drawn to it by the fact that it involved Kyle Woodall, the great drummer from Wolvesx4 (that being another band you should check out pronto – a good intro point is their 2023 album cursecursecurse).  The first release from Treasure Pains was Charming (also on Wiretap Records) and it was a solid album that interlaced elements of melodic punk with the lighter side of post hardcore.

This new track is definitely more aggressive than their earlier songs, opening on a heavy bass line before cutting into a very loud and aggressive guitar and vocal onslaught.  The drums are right at the front of the sound throughout, driving along a song that also has a pretty cool guitar riff ringing out through the last minute or so.  I like this slightly harder sound from Treasure Pains – it keep the melodic vibe but with a tougher touch.  

You can check out more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page https://wiretaprecords.bandcamp.com/track/left-to-give

And please remember to support your local community 🙂

And maybe 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- Burnt Tapes – “You Only YOLO Once” from the album New Lungs

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I just read a press release about this second single coming out from the Burnt Tapes upcoming album and knew I had to jump on and take a listen.  The first time I ever heard this band was back around 2020 on the song “Drift Champ ’16” off Never Better.   That track has made its rounds through several of my playlists over the years not just for the music but for some poignant lyrics…”Load a car with cardboard boxes, They’re all empty anyway,” being one among many.  

This new single has a nice drum & bass boomer start with a few bars of simple guitar melody before it gets a little rowdy.  A strong and angry vocal performance drives this one all the way through (and with a bit of an unusual throwback reference to “Drift Champ ’16” as both lyrics reference broken teeth…random I know).  There is a nice down-stepped bridge in there also – it provides a nice transition to the last part of this track.  

This is a powerful release from a seasoned and vibrant band – worth a listen for sure!   Steaming in all your usual places and you can also check it out here:

Keep an eye out for this full album to be released on Wiretap Records / Lockjaw Records and Nasty Cut Records.  

Keep your locals in mind for some support also – community is powerful!  

Song Review- Ben Basile – “Mountain Road” from the album Benergy

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From the good people at Sleep Walk Sounds (an imprint of Wiretap Records) we get this new release which just dropped in the last week and definitely lives up to the positive reviews that are already out there.   One quick side note as this album claims to (and achieves) a nice blend of ska, reggae and rocksteady:  If you ever want to get into a fascinating discussion with some of your music loving friends, start talking about the differences, similarities, foundations, etc of these three genres.  This also makes a great research and learning project for yourself, a journey I went on several years ago and am still chasing around.  Since I find myself more of a ska fan I started with Ska: An Oral History by Heather Augustyn but there is a lot of other info out there about all of these styles of music.  End of random learning suggestion….onto “Mountain Road” which ended up being the track I liked the best on Benergy.

This song has good vibes and happiness running through it and just gets you in a positive frame of mind…it is going to all be good.   The bass line here is definitely on the reggae side of things but there is a nice blending in of tempo on keys that takes it in other directions.  It swings and booms along nicely throughout and then fades off into the sunset. 

For a totally different experience (and I mean that in a good way) also check out “Hot Drop” off this album.  It may soon replace “Mountain Road” as my fav.  

You can pick up the vinyl here:

https://sleepwalksounds.limitedrun.com/

Also available on your streaming platforms…and please think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

Take time to be a good neighbor…community is powerful!

Song Review- The Manic Standstill – “Bulletproof”

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Thanks to the good people at Earshot Media who sent a press release and introduced me to this band…always good to find new sounds out here in the listening-verse.  This group features the talents of Adam Bones, Eddy Hewitt and Brad Dickert, aided on this song by Aixa Vilar and Michelle Rangel (both from Go Betty Go) who really fit together nicely and this track is a testament to that fact.  

“Bulletproof” has driving rhythm right from the start and a nice in-the-front bass overlay that gives this track great depth.  Backed up by the guitar work of Bones and lyrics written by his wife Megan (with a backstory that bears reading about if you get a chance) you can put this one in regular rotation for sure.  

There is a colorful video you can check out here: 

As far as I know this track is just on steaming right now but watch for the upcoming album from this band as an item to purchase.    It is set for release later this year and features a quality list of guest musicians including Packy Lundholm (I Fight Dragons), Ian Fowles (The Aquabats), Kody Templeman (Teenage Bottle Rocket, The Lillingtons) and many more 🙂 

Please remember to support your locals – they need you and much as you need them – and community is powerful 🙂 

Album Review- Wiretap Records  – 10 Year Compilation

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I am not going to run through all 81 songs on this monster compilation…that would be quite the read for you and I would get sidetracked about 100 times along the way.  Suffice it to say that Wiretap Records is one of the best labels out there for getting those up & coming punk artists released into this world and you will be blown away by the music on this album.  Just cue up “Spanish Love Song” by Concrete from the top of the list and you will get a taste of the awesomeness.   Every band here deserves a direct mention but I am going to limit it to a few suggestions that are just personal favs: Wolves&Wolves&Wolves&Wolves, Aree and the Pure Heart, Elijah Newman & the SideEffects, Avenues, Camiches and Lovebreakers.  Really though, buy it and get your own favorites list going – you will not be disappointed! 

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

As always…remember to get out and support your local artists – community is powerful 🙂

And please think about purchasing this song (or better yet…the entire album and maybe for more than the very generous $5 minimum they put on it) after you listen – streaming music does not pay much even times a thousand…