Sound Salvation Army

Buckle up for some surprising news, readers: I’ve been getting older these last few years.

Shocking though it may seem, it’s true. To make matters worse my aging has been totally cliched. I go out to shows less and less often, “classic” soul and pop music has become my usual go-to instead of punk rock, my girlfriend and I stay in and read more often than we go out drinking, and sometimes I even go to bed before midnight. My teenage self is so ashamed.

Junior Battles, it seems, can relate. The plucky Torontonians found a place in my heart last year, thanks to a flawless EP and a surprisingly charming video. On their new full-length album, however, it appears someone is going all Daniel Plainview on their glass-half-full mind-set.

The first half or more of Idle Ages (aside from album opener “Seventeen” anyway) is jarring for me. It really made me take a look back at the band’s previous work and reassess the tenor of it. Chalk it up to having spent a year singing the songs from their self-titled EP as loud as possible in my car but in my head the band has been a beacon of positivity and hopefulness but it turns out that as far as that EP goes that really only applies to my admittedly-favourite song, “Basements.” The rest of the tracks have a significantly darker lyrical tone.

That’s amplified in several tracks on Idle Ages, the group’s first full-length album. Specifically “Nostalgic at 23,” “Birthdayparties vs Punkroutine,” and “Twenty-Five.” I’m sure it’s no coincidence that all of those numbers are written and (primarily) sung by Aaron Zorgel, who had this to say about the latter track in a run-down on the album published by Property of Zack:

I was going through a time in my life where I was the most directionless, the most broke, and as a result, the most medicated I’ve ever been. At that time, I was unhappy with where my life was going, and I didn’t know where I wanted to be, or what I wanted to do. So, I was getting wasted a lot and feeling sorry for myself. I’ve since turned 25, and I’m happy to report that I’m generally pretty upbeat these days, and I’m feeling good about my situation. I think I just needed to put what I was feeling out there, and doing that was honestly very therapeutic for me.

The idea of self-medicating comes up a few times here in a very unglamorous fashion. “I guess I’m happy for now but we’re just tired and loaded,” Zorgel sings on “Send The Pilots Away.” “We reminisce ’til we’re fucked up and then we puke in our own sheets,” fellow songwriter Sam Sutherland insists on “Nostalgic at 23, adding, “I’ve got to be fucked up to put up with your bullshit.” Also kind of a bummer: “I can sleep maybe eight hours a day/maybe six hours I’m wasted/and the rest of the day I’m fucking tired.”

Zorgel also spends a track or two looking at the idea that while aging may bring confusion (and eventually clarity) it can also force a wedge between formerly close friends. He laments how once-close friendships can take a backseat as people’s lives take different paths, resulting in infrequent contact that consists mostly of remembering common history.

Sound familiar? It does to me. You bet your ass I’d like to be able to make more time for the people that were once the closest friends I had, but work, family, and relationship commitments sometimes make that difficult. It’s unfortunate, but it’s something I try not to dwell on; there are simply more people than there is time to spend with them. I’ve always tried to tell myself that there’s no point in worrying about the inevitability in life; you won’t get anywhere if you spend all your time obsessed with what happens when you die or having a mental breakdown just because you’re turning 30.

To me these songs illustrate a depth of understanding that covers what I’m sure is a fairly common experience for people who might have expected growing pains to end with adolescence. Transitioning into the world of adulthood is tough enough for most people but for creative types trying to make a living while creating music and touring clearly adds another level of difficulty. Perhaps the Junior boys are hoping that openly discussing such issues will help other people get past those rough patches and increase the optimism.

There is certainly a more upbeat side to the record, one that the album simply couldn’t live without, the yang to the bleaker yin of the album’s first half. One example is pushed up front with opener “Seventeen.” It’s a bit of a mixed bag but for me it sets up a feeling of resolve that the energy and power of the music of Idle Ages helps to carry through the album’s entire running time. “Here’s a list of reasons we’re making this morning/to never feel angry or get disappointed,” the band sings emphatically at the opening. That along with the “woah-oh” melodies create a bubble of energy and glee that even the refrain of, “Will I be happy?/No, no, no, no, no, no, no/I don’t think so,” in the following track “Twenty Five” can’t burst.

“Architecture” and “Living In The Future Of Feelings” shift the focus to what is presumably the band’s overwhelming source of joy: the band itself. Sutherland describes the latter as a “straightforward pleasure-cruiser” about how much goddamn fun it is to be able to make music and do something you love, even if it means making sacrifices along the way. “Even our worst work week is still better than your holidays,” they insist before heading into a chorus that is the hands-down number one sing-along moment of the summer as far as I’m concerned (it also made a pretty good title for this review).

Junior Battles also deserve credit for attempting to stretch themselves musically. While much of the music follows the loose template of up-tempo pop punk they’ve already laid out for themselves there are several moments of aggression and a focus on taking their arrangements to the next level that show some significant growth. Just check out the 1:20 mark of “With Honours” for proof. In an admittedly brief but deft move the band abruptly switches from one of the record’s first moments of quiet(er) reverie to twenty seconds of thrashing, chaotic, uncharacteristically harsh guitar tones. The already-aggressive “Ever Get The Feeling You’ve Been Cheated?” chastises sloganeering punk bands for phony political posturing and gets a big boost courtesy of guest vocalist Damian Abraham of Fucked Up. The palm-muted riffing and somber tone of “Send The Pilots Away” recalls more dour moments from groups like Bad Religion or Polar Bear Club. The dizzying arrangement of “Alternate 1985″ seems more like four or five songs mashed together but it works, drawing the listener further in with every left turn.

I could go on but if I haven’t lost you yet I should probably not run the risk.

I’ll be the first to admit this review may be short on criticism but that’s only because I like this record too goddamn much. There are a couple of things that don’t work for me here but it just doesn’t matter. Idle Ages is a record that is exactly what it needs to be: it speaks eloquently about shared human experiences in a voice that isn’t pandering, cloying, or condescending. The players are extremely talented and have formed a sound that is unique but feeds off myriad influences, appealing to anyone who likes any kind of punk and probably more than a few people whose tastes lean toward safer pop conventions. The end result is easily one of the top five records released so far this year, one that will be sticking around when the year-end best-of lists start getting churned out in December.

In short these guys are exactly what they want the rest of the world to be: honest, ethical, forthright, dedicated, and driven. If nothing else that alone deserves your attention.

You can purchase Idle Ages from Paper + Plastick Records right here, through their webstore. Don’t bother getting it from iTunes — buying the CD will get you an instant digital download. The band tells me that vinyl is coming soon so if that’s your jam keep checking back.

Pat entries adulthood, Canadian content, growing up, Junior Battles, Paper + Plastick Records, pop punk, positivity, punk rock, rock, Toronto

I never really got into Latterman.

The punk rockers from Long Island, New York were beloved by the org-core crowd for the few years they were together, heralded for their, “gruff vocals and blend of pop punk.” Reviewers fawned, stating, “The choruses are huge and fun and the melodies are dangerously contagious.” All of which I like, but for some reason I just never latched on to the band.

A lot of people were heart-broken when the group disbanded, but it wasn’t long before they all moved on to new projects that are just as acclaimed. Thankfully, this time I get it — the two most prominent, at least, are amazing.

Let’s start with the image you see above, the cover art for the full-length debut from Iron Chic. They’re a band that describes themselves (on their own website, no less) as “a decent band” that plays “adequate songs.” Not straying too far from the sound that was left behind when Latterman folded, the group slings deliriously catch pop punk reminiscent of latter-era Hot Water Music. Fantastically distorted bass and surprisingly melodic singing from gruff, raspy voices are the hallmarks of Not Like This, an album that is as long on passion as it is short on running time.

Admittedly the band’s sound here is not world’s apart from what they’ve done previously, but it is a fair shot at moving on to bigger things. The vocal hooks here are huge and the lyrics they convey, while liberally peppered with a particularly volatile curse word (”fuck,” if we’re being honest; this blog is already “rated r”) read like a stately position paper on personal politics and the politics of the person, about the merits of eschewing the lazy trappings of modern life in favour of personal accountability and never-say-die initiative to improve your own situation.

Despite that message, however, these words and sentiments have a decidedly less-than-cheery outlook. It feels like every inch of ground Iron Chic makes up is a fight, like the world around them is oppressive (probably more true than not) and is either filled with those looking to hold them back or those who blithely carry on through their day, ignorant of the state of the world around them.

For me the most resonant and relevant track is “Timecop,” a stand-out track that was actually re-recorded after appearing on their first demo. The song is a manifesto about leaving the past, no matter how glorious it may seem, in the past and moving on to something bigger and better. The band knows the memories of their youthful past experiences may be sweet, but dwelling on the past has never gotten anyone anywhere.

While a sense of not-quite-despair but not-even-close-to-happiness permeates many of the songs, the band wisely ends things on a rare note of positivity. While the majority of “Every Town Has An Elm Street” focuses on the need so many young people feel to retreat from their home city in search of something better, it also examines the same notion from the perspective of someone who has chosen to stick around and focused on making themselves better despite their environment. “From a thousand miles away,” Jason Lubrano, formerly of Small Arms Dealer, sings, “It’s a brand new day/and we all find our way home/home is where the heart stays/when the heart strays/home is where we are today.” It’s a statement that applies as much to the band’s position as it does to the characters in the song; regardless of starting a new band there’s a larger idea and effort the group is continuing to try and inspire in its listeners. That insistence is admirable and the songs are definitely there to back up the sentiment.

On the other side of the ex-Latterman coin, Bridge and Tunnel are only slightly more prolific, issuing a number of singles and splits in the last few years. The group’s take on punk is slightly more removed, retaining an obvious Hot Water Music influence combined with equal parts Fugazi. Reviewers have identified elements of finger-tapped guitars in the vein of Minus The Bear, aggressive post-hardcore, and American Football-style instrumentation.

I only know what about half of that means, but I know what I like and I like Bridge and Tunnel. I also like their 2010 EP, Indoor Voices, and I hope it isn’t the last chapter in their story (it’s the last batch of songs recorded before the group’s bassist/one of their singers left the line-up).

Not venturing too far from their previous releases, the band’s consistently-aggressive shout-singing has become more melodic than ever. The group benefits from having four unique voices delivering their words, constantly layering their tracks with back-up vocals and harmonies that reflect and enhance their slinky, progressive songwriting and phenomenal instrumentation.

Opener “Predecessors” is an inspired choice to begin the too-short set: the intricate guitar work is riffy, weaving their way in and around each other while the band’s quickest, catchiest rhythm yet amps up the energy. The band sings about the plight of our elderly, those whose legacy is taken for granted as they’re left to die on their own, segregated from family and society. On one hand it seems almost criminal for such a catchy song to be couched in such a dire sentiment, but on the other perhaps a catchy song is what’s needed to make people pay attention.

The five-song set continues pushing the band’s socially-minded agenda. They talk about how people are sold a rotten bill of goods through flighty consumerist trends, how routine and soul-crushing it is to live in the real world and have the same experiences over and over, and the downside of the transitory lifestyle of a musician.

The passion is the thing, with Bridge and Tunnel, and it’s a tangible passion that few other bands have ever felt, let alone sustained.

It’s interesting how the former Lattermen in both bands are definitely the minority of total members, but there are commonalities in both: each group has their own social agenda focusing on personal politics and the inherent shortcomings of society and the world around them but their music belies the somewhat dour nature of it all. I’m sure they’d all bristle at the notion of being thought of as “ex-Latterman” (they’re also ex-Slingshot Dakota, ex-Fellow Project, ex-Small Arms Dealer, ex-Agent, and ex-Regarding I), but regardless of their own musical origin it’s good to know that talented musicians don’t let the demise of one project prevent them from reaching even greater heights.

Old Iron Chic releases can be found in their physical form at Dead Broke Records and on iTunes.

Bridge and Tunnel is a proud product of No Idea Records, where you’ll find vinyl and CDs galore. They’re also on iTunes.

Pat entries Bridge and Tunnel, ex-members, Iron Chic, Latterman, New York, No Idea Records, pop punk, post rock, punk rock, second chances

I’m a sucker for a good headline.

Needless to say I was mighty impressed with Chuck at Beartrap PR when I saw this in my email: “Band discovers ratio of Copyright Infringement to Money Spent directly proportional to Overall Entertainment Value.” I was even more impressed when I found out that he’s right.

The video that headlines refers to is by the constantly-impressive Junior Battles, a pop punk quadrangle from Toronto. They’ve been doing a raft of interviews the last few months since the release of their self-titled 7″ and their ascension to backing band for O Pioneers!!! and they never disappoint. They’re hilarious guys but they’re always forthright about the music they make and what it is; they’re doing this for fun and because they love it and they’re going to ride it out as long as they can.

Their new (only?) video embodies that spirit wholeheartedly.

The song is the highlight of the aforementioned single, lead track “Basements” — a song tailor-made to sing along to at maximum volume while driving in your car with the windows down on the way to your bowling night (or other leisure activity). I know because I’ve been doing it all summer. This song is an up-tempo slice of melodic, harmony-soaked pop punk that is made for the sunny months and it’s been on every mix tape I’ve made since May. I love it.

The video shouldn’t be too surprising to anyone who downloaded the EP for free from If You Make It. Thumbing their nose at copyright law and intellectual property once again the video is comprised of scenes from a raft of their favourite movies from Saw to Back To The Future to Gremlins. A live performance provides the backbone of the video, the footage superimposed onto television screens in the film clips. Produced for no money, one gets the sense that this is more the fulfillment of the band’s childhood wish to share the screen with Michael J. Fox than anything else. But like everything this band does, it works.

But really, a goofy concept executed on a zero budget with middling results? That’ll get me every time.

Make a difference in the world by BUYING Junior Battles’ record from Square Up Records. They also put out a brilliant split single with Pat favourite O Pioneers!!! that can be purchased from Kiss of Death Records.

Pat entries Canadian content, Junior Battles, Marty McFly, no budget, pop punk, Toronto, videos

Spring has been a big ol’ pile of shit in Regina, Saskatchewan this year.

True, we had an unseasonably warm stretch of a couple of weeks in April, but May has been nothing but high winds, abnormally cold temperatures, snow, and rain. It’s enough to make one go back into winter hibernation mode. Or at least it was until I started spinning this little slice of sunshine.

Toronto’s Junior Battles are on to something. A lot of the reviews I’ve read for their self-titled 7″ pick up on a thread of 90’s throwback/nostalgia that seems to run through this tiny collection of songs, but to me their appeal has less to do with what they have in common with their pop-punk forefathers and more the exuberant and varied arrangements that place these tunes in a decidedly modern context.

Lead-off track “Basements” is definitely ear-catching. It’s tempo is constantly shifting, a mostly-perky chord arrangement and a trickily-drummed bridge providing a note-perfect under-pinning for the heavily-harmonized vocals. The vocals have great momentum as well, adding more and more layers of harmony as the song continues.

As with most great pop-punk, the vocal melodies and harmonies take center stage on Junior Battles. They fall more in the vein of bands like Jawbreaker (but smoother), Hot Water Music (but less gruff), or earlier Green Day (yup).

Lyrically they have a strong tenor of “band songs,” concerning their reliance on records and songwriting/performing to get them through the long, dark, cold Canadian winters. Not hard to relate to, obviously. There is a road/touring song as well (the perfectly-titled “Roads? Where We’re Going, We Definitely Need Roads”), but it leans more towards the, “Isn’t it great we get to do this for a living?” tone than anything else. “”Update Your Resume” strikes the lone chord of discontent, lamenting the pitfalls of the record industry versus the glory of playing music.

The Battle-rs recently partnered up with one of my favourite musicians of the modern era, Eric Solomon, to serve as the backing band and touring partners for O Pioneers!!! after their latest personnel breakdown. It’s an interesting partnership, considering the relatively disparate levels of pop and polish in their respective material. But if it works I think both bands stand to benefit immensely. Even if it doesn’t, we’ve got a terrific slab of wax here to help remember better days.

Now I just have to track down a copy of their EP.

Physical: 7″ records available here
Digital: From ‘If You Make It’, which is available for free.

Pat entries Canadian content, O Pioneers!!!, pop punk, punk rock, team-ups

It was a long, long year of self-reflection. This portion of the best-of rundown has changed a lot even right up to the last minute. I had to re-jig a lot of stuff in the bottom top 10 to get the line-up just right. You’ll see a few rockers in this section that have been consistent for years and years and a couple that have gone in the literal opposite direction in 2009. But all remain very, very tasty.

Here we go, jerks!

15. O Pioneers!!! - Neon Creeps
If you haven’t figured it out by now I love this band. Neon Creeps finds Eric simultaneously getting more desperate and harrowed lyrically while taking a bit of the edge of what is normally his extremely acerbic guitar tone. His playing sounds more precise, less hack-and-slash, and while it shouldn’t make that big a difference the addition of bass to the mix really helps flesh out the arrangements and support Eric in the quieter bits. Lyrically it might be kind of a bummer, but these songs are real; the desperation and depression is genuine. This is the sound of a man working through everyday frustrations with dramatic results. Read more here.

14. the Bronx - Mariachi el Bronx
As I previously stated, I’m not the least bit qualified to critique mariachi music. I have zero qualifications. But to paraphrase some old dude, I may not know mariachi but I know what I like and I like this album. It has a relaxed rhythm, shamelessly full arrangements, some great singing, and huge hooks. That Prince cover was a perfect teaser and the album delivered on all of its promise and then some.

13. Chad Price - Smile Sweet Face
This is the opposite of ground-breaking but Smile Sweet Face is both impossibly heartbreaking and improbably beautiful. There’s nothing revolutionary about a sad white dude and his acoustic guitar but the simple fact that Price’s world-weary voice can carry such incredible melodies and devastating sentiments is worth celebrating. “This War” perfectly captures the crushing weight of infidelity and “Peachy Tuscadero” sounds like the opposite of what it is: a mash note to a misfit puppy. This album has everything.

12. Propagandhi - Supporting Cast(e)
Fat Wreck Chords who? The long-running Winnipeg anarcho-punks say goodbye to their long-time associations and deliver what is unequivocally their best album ever, How To Clean Everything be damned. A second guitarist has them sounding huge (the compression helps the loudness as well, of course) and they’re still highly aggressive, but Cast(e) is also their most melodically rich and complex work yet. Aside from the horrifying death knell that starts “Human(e) Meat (the Flensing of Sandor Katz)” they don’t strike a single wrong note.

11. the Thermals - Now We Can See
Hutch Harris and Kathy Foster still writes songs that consist of little more than four chords and a heartbeat, but they’re sounding more at home than ever on Now We Can See. Down-playing the aggression that marked The Body, The Blood, The Machine, these songs are 100% anthemic and still rather thought-provoking. I maintain my assertion that “When I Died” is the best pop song you didn’t hear on the radio in 2009. Read more here.

O Pioneers!!!: All music physical, some files digital.
Mariachi el Bronx: Get the album (and/or Mariachi el Bronx’s exclusive cologne) from their webstore. Here’s the iTunes.
Chad Price: Smile Sweet Face and a bevy of other Price-related albums can be foundin the Suburban Home/Vinyl Collective webstore. The album is on iTunes, but you’re better off getting it from Suburban Home/Vinyl Collective’s own digital store. It’s cheaper.
Propagandhi: CD/LP/download is available through the G7 Welcoming Committee site, which I didn’t even realize still existd. Surprisingly, they’re also on iTunes. A lot.
the Thermals: Physical purchases can be made through Kill Rock Stars’ website. Old releases are on Sub Pop. iTunes is a thing too.

Pat entries acoustic, best ofs, Canadian content, Chad Price, mariachi, Mariachi el Bronx, O Pioneers!!!, pop punk, pop rock, Propagandhi, punk rock, roots, the Thermals, year in review

I love it when an album that’s completely unfamiliar to you feels like coming home.

A number of years ago I spent two years in the second-largest city in Manitoba, Canada (which is just as small as it sounds). At the time, seven or eight friends rented an old church that had been converted into a coffee shop to live in. The coffee shop had failed, and with that much space just going to waste it seemed like a logical use to have tenants in the basement. Meanwhile the rectory (or whatever you call that big open space where the pews are) sat essentially empty, the pews long since removed. This gang of miscreants decided that they’d throw lavish parties to help cover their rent and bill payments, occasionally booking small touring prairie bands to play a set on the stage while they sold booze illegally to area residents that heard about these dubious events. Once they moved out, the Hell’s Angels would eventually move in and hold similar functions. Apparently college kids are smarter/more discreet than bikers, because they’d eventually get busted by the RCMP. True story.

Anyway, one of the biggest parties was a Halloween party that Winnipeg band Sixty Stories played at. I don’t remember much from that event, aside from the band sitting off in a corner drinking mostly by themselves (I don’t blame them). At the time of the church show the group was somewhere in between having released their only full-length album, Anthem Red, and breaking up, which was a considerable shame given how incredibly good that album is. The power-pop threesome crafted an incredibly engaging, loosely-themed album focusing on the trials and tribulations of growing up as a teenage girl. While the subject matter has the potential to come off maudlin, depressing, or trivial frontwoman Jo Snyder has a knack for painting a realistic picture of how significant the experiences of that era of life are to those living it as opposed to how their reactions are viewed by others.

After disbanding in 2004, Snyder and her bassist/co-writer Sarah Sangster reformed under the moniker Anthem Red, adding the extremely adroit drummer and guitarist that currently grace their new lineup. They managed to write, record, and release the album Dancing On The Dishwasher in 2006 and absolutely nobody noticed. That’s probably because it’s put out by the Company With The Golden Arm, a German label that co-released their Sixty Stories records.

Frankly, it’s pretty fucking sad that nobody is listening to this CD. The new players have opened up Snyder’s songwriting, providing a lusher and more deft backdrop for her observational, slice-of-life tunes. Blurring the lines between Jawbreaker, Elvis Costello, and Vivian Girls/Discount/Fifth Hour Hero/your favourite girl-punk band, there are no bad songs on this album. Snyder’s singing voice is just as unique as her writing voice; where her vocals were once described by reviewers as “androgynous” (and that’s one of the friendlier descriptions) she’s managed to reach a slightly higher register without losing that unique tone. Her focus is more on adult minutia than adolescent this time around: anxiety over flying, reconciling the fact that your parents are getting older with your own aging process, smoking on a fire escape.

Better still, the writing contributions from Sarah Sangster (”Power Lines,” “Broken English,” “Wonder”) rival anything the band has produced in either its present or past incarnations. “Broken English” has caused me to once again go all rubbery over a song; like “Second Hand Tables & Chairs” from Sixty Stories’ Anthem Red it’s a perfectly structured song that exudes genuine emotion and boasts a jaw-dropping performance. Perhaps most impressive is the sublimely-layered three-part harmonies, a trick that never really presented itself in the old band. Equally as jarring (in a good way) is “Diet Cokes & Stethoscopes,” an introspective number about seeing your future in your aging parents eyes.

This album is a more than welcome reminder of days gone by. A release cheaply recorded in another group’s practice space and released on another continent has retroactively become one of my favourite from 2006. In just a week I know this album back to front; several of the songs on it are honestly some of the best I’ve heard in years. Snyder is now a bit closer to actually penning the sixty stories she may or may not have intended to write when she started her last band; here’s hoping she makes it there and beyond before she adds “former” to another band to her resumé.

Dancing On The Dishwasher can be found by internet detectives on iTunes and through the band’s myspace page. The excellent Sixty Stories material is also available from iTunes and Smallman Records webstore.

Pat entries Anthem Red, break-ups, Canadian content, Dancing On The Dishwasher, pop punk, pop rock, power pop, Sixty Stories

This has been a cathartic last few months for pop-punk fans.

One of the genre’s best has decided to pack it in. The Ergs! have been around a lot longer than most people know about and have a ridiculous amount of releases to show for it. The threesome have combined Ramones-style rock with hardcore, pop, country, jazz, “alternative,” and Ben Kweller for about ten years, write some of the hook-heaviest tunes in modern punk and I’m sad to see them go.

Thankfully, they’re leaving with a band, not a whisper. That means since fall began they have or will soon put out: Hindsight is 20/20, My Friend, a CD and 2XLP b-sides, singles, and rarities compilation; a repress of the beloved Jersey’s Best Prancers LP; That’s it…Bye! 12″ double a-side single; a covers split with Teenage Bottlerocket; another split 7″ with the Measure [SA] where they wrote songs for each other to play; the Thrash Compactor one sided hardcore 7″; and they’ll be on an upcoming 2xLP Kid Dynamite tribute record performing “Fuckuturn.” Fans are sad, but appreciative.

The song below is from the That’s It…Bye! 12″ which is out on Don Giovanni. Dig it.

Get a couple of Ergs! releases (and more) from Don Giovanni and a bunch more are for sale on Interpunk. iTunes links are here, here, and here depending on punctuation.

Pat entries eulogies, pop punk, punk, the Ergs!, vinyl

Pop music was made for summer. As a pusher/purveyor of pop music, that means that nary a season goes by without a celebratory mix tape to accompany it. What you’ll find in the .rar files linked below are ready-to-burn mixes meant to be listened to in the midst of a road trip, preferably with the windows rolled down. Pop and rock and pop rock are pushed to the forefront, because there’s nothing summery about pianos, cellos, and theremins. Crank it up.

Disc One
1. the Hold Steady - Constructive Summer // Craig Finn continues to be the master of the subtle shout-out, giving props to his old Minneapolis chums in Dillinger Four in the second verse of this song. Like the rest of their latest album, this song encourages you to rock out all summer long. One of the few overtly summer-named songs on this mix.
2. the Steinways - Main Street, Flushing, USA // Pop punk should be everyone’s summer soundtrack as far as I’m concerned, and few do that genre better than the Steinways right now. This ones about creeping out the ladies on the bus ride home.
3. O Pioneers!!! - the Weather Underground // I’ve said before how much I love this band, but that’s only because I do. Music as inspiration and rallying cry.
4. Nine Inch Nails - Letting You // Trent Reznor making semi-relevant music in 2008 (and reinventing music retail in the process) — who would’ve thought.
5. Black Mountain - Tyrants // My favourite track from their latest; epic guitar rock from what could be the new Zep, Jefferson Airplane, and Byrds all rolled into one.
6. Flight Of The Conchords - Robots // I’m sorry, I just love these guys. I may have been late to the party, but the party is still a lot of fun.
7. Ratatat - Shiller // Some parts could be a sound-alike for the X-Files soundtrack, but in a good way.
8. the Playing Favorites - Indigenous // Joey Cape has been one of my favourite songwriters for nigh on ten years. As the punk rock fades further and further into his rearview his tunes just get prettier and prettier. While this side project is middling at best, his contributions are flawless.
9. Tokyo Police Club - Listen To The Math // A distinct change of pace from their EP releases, there are several songs on their full-length debut that drop the fast-paced freneticism of earlier songs with dazzling results.
10. Wolf Parade - California Dreamer // Radio jams are always a plus in the summertime, even if they heavily reference winter in their lyrics.
11. Shad K - the Old Prince Still Lives At Home // Ontario rapper with often lovely, always clever, and frequently very deep lyrics. Such a great album.
12. Two Hours Traffic - Stuck For The Summer // Some fantastically hooky power pop that reminds me heavily of the last Phoenix album. Another great find from the radio show.
13. Johnny Cash - It Ain’t Me, Babe // See post from a few weeks ago.
14. Ninja Gun - Front Yard Screamers (Kitchen Kissers) // Kind of a Mellancamp-y, front porch tune about family.
15. Mike Hale - Before You Were Gone // Yeah, a bit depressing…but summer isn’t always 100% beaches and bombshell babes. Sometimes it’s just bombshells.
16. Trever Keith - Sick Of Me // Also depressing. One of the standout tracks from the self-released digital-only album from former Face to Face frontman.
17. Alkaline Trio - I Found Away // In last week’s review I talked about how this song should be the one that finally launches this band into the pop rock stratosphere. Even if it doesn’t, it’s a bright spot on the most middling album of their career.
18. the Hold Steady - Stay Positive // As with every hold steady song and album, this one is very referential. While newer fans or folks who only saw then on Letterman might miss the allusion to “Positive Jam,” a cut from their first album Almost Killed Me, long-time fans continue to get their shoutouts contained within another killer rock song. This band knows exactly what they’re doing.

Disc Two
1. the Gaslight Anthem - Great Expectations // The album of the summer so far, possibly of the year. While I don’t quite understand the complete obsession their fan base has for what I consider a mediocre first album, the ‘59 Sound is the real deal.
2. the Loved Ones - 3rd Shift // Nice build up.
3. Lemuria - Bee Spit // See post from a few weeks ago; one of the best, catchiest pop songs I’ve heard in years.
4. the Steinways - Oh My Fucking Gosh // Seriously.
5. Off With Their Heads - Your Child Is Dead // They raise some interesting points. What’s with the gun violence? I know this is old, but it was re-pressed this summer, so there.
6. Torche - Healer // From the brilliantly-titled Meanderthal. Weird but pretty great pop/metal hybrid that doesn’t sound like you think it does.
7. Able Baker Fox - Stuttering // One of the finest rock songs of the year. I think an associate called it an “unholy jam.” Really can’t disagree.
8. A Wilhelm Scream - Die While We’re Young // You know I love them.
9. Alkaline Trio - Do You Wanna Know? // See notes on previous Alkaline Trio song. The finest song Dan Andriano has written since “Maybe I’ll Catch Fire.”
10. Maritime - Be Unhappy // This song follows a tradition that dates back past Motown to the beginning of popular music (ie. “You Are My Sunshine”) — namely depressing, melancholy lyrics set to a catchy melody that belies the darkness of the content. Nothing does the job like a well-placed “doo doot doo doo do.”
11. Why? - These Few Presidents // One of the best misunderstood torch songs of recent years. That is, if you interpret the line, “Yours is a funeral I’d fly to from anywhere” as sweet and not foreboding.
12. Bloc Party - Flux // Propulsive, catchy, and frantically drummed, like a good Bloc Party song should be.
13. Portugal. The Man - Church Mouth // These dudes are in their own field (namely left field). I don’t know what it means, but it sounds good.
14. Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground - Hey Momma // Gatsby’s American Dream is awesome, but this song is wild and just perfect.
15. Malcolm Bauld - Royal Road // Former Frenetics frontman pens one of the most conflicted, sad songs I’ve ever heard, but keeps his optimism intact.
16. O Pioneers!!! - the Adventures of John Locke // Unimpeachable track from one of my favourite bands. The constant, unyielding strumming of the guitar and the hell-raising, guttural vocals are wonderfully cathartic.
17. Witches With Dicks - How To Cook 40 Humans // Pop punk that’s dirty and dangerous.
18. Be Your Own Pet - Zombie Graveyard Party // Pop punk filtered through teenage horror movie dance parties.
19. LaGrecia - According To My Notes // Probably the most well-disguised pure pop song of the year. I will never stop listening to this record.
20. No Use For A Name - Under The Garden // A throwback for me. NUFAN always reminds me of being in high school, going to punk rock shows, and sweating out your problems.

Part One can be downloaded here
Part Two is waiting for you here

We’ll be back in the coming days with more tasty mixes from our other staffers.

Pat entries Canadian content, jams, mix tapes, pop, pop punk, pop rock, summer

 

Once upon a time when punk rock was new, the few female performers that made an impact on the scene were often caricatures: Wendy O. Williams of the Plasmatics comes immediately to mind, better known for her exploitation and distortion of her sexuality than for her group’s music. More modern examples like Cinder Block of Tilt and Brodie Armstrong (as with the circle of female performers that drifted in and out of her band, the Distillers, over the acts first several years of operation) have put themselves in a similar position as that damaged legend: simultaneously putting their sexuality at the fore and downplaying it by taking on affectations of their male counterparts when it comes to dress, hairstyle, tattooing, and vocal performance. The result is equal parts sex kitten and violence. Others like Hayley Williams of pop-punk upstarts Paramore and Jemina Pearl of Be Your Own Pet play up their cuteness without shame, likely more as a marketing tool than anything. Others distinguished themselves by operating within a punk scene but not really playing the music (Tina Weymouth of the Talking Heads, Blondie, Chrissie Hynde). Different set of expectations, I suppose.

No matter what era or ethos, it becomes difficult to find prominent female punk rockers that exist within the confines of a group without defining it; most of the above-mentioned groups are known mostly as “chick groups” and are to some extent segregated from it.

About six or seven years ago I was attending the annual CJTR Music Garage Sale, a fundraiser put on in the summer by my community radio station. CD’s for five dollars, LP’s for $1-$2, and thousands upon thousands of pieces to leaf through. This summer I came across an album called, Half Fiction by a female-fronted group called Discount. They are one of a plethora of late-90’s/00’s Floridian punk rock bands influenced in equal parts by the Descendents, Husker Du, and first-wave emo. Performance-wise, they lean heavily in the pop-punk portion of that influence, their songs typically rapid-fire paced with thick, buzzing power chords. They released numerous 7”s on a vast number of labels, as well as three proper full-length records.

But Half Fiction definitely stands out. Their most vital and urgent record laments the life of a directionless early-20’s year-old, the frustrations of a dead-end job and a society that just doesn’t work. Personal tales about being repulsed by the actions of a lover and extreme social anxiety provide a window into the mind of singer/songwriter Allison Mosshart (who now plays in blues-rock dirty duo the Kills). It’s a highly relatable song cycle with only one less-than-perfect number towards the end of the album. While the band was together, Mosshart actively attempted to deflect the usual stereotypes and reactions that come with female-fronted punk rock groups by dressing and cutting her hair in – frankly – very mannish fashions. The band dynamic is very unified; it’s clearly not a star vehicle for the woman at the mic.

Both Discount and Half Fiction were very much on my mind a few weeks ago when I received my copy of Get Better, the first proper full-length album from Buffalo, New York’s Lemuria. Released on the Asian Man record label, it was a cold buy for me. I’d never heard a note of the band’s previous works, having only heard good things about them from fellow music enthusiasts.

Upon first listen, I was a little perplexed. There’s just something a tiny bit off about the group’s songwriting, at the same time straight-forward but subtly quirky. Repeat listens gave me the distinct impression that Lemuria comes off on this record a lot like Discount, only somewhat sedated (and with male vocals). The songs are impossibly cute, especially “Lipstick,” in which singer/guitarist Sheena Ozzella laments on the some-times unfortunate preferences her girlfriend has for kissing/not kissing her. “Yesterday’s Lunch” is an insightful number about how people always think they haven’t got enough until they’ve gotten too much.

Rock music is obsessed with star power and the idea of a front(wo)man being the lightning rod for whatever attention is given to a band. On Get Better Lemuria show a wealth of potential and an incredible depth of songwriting for a young band. It would be a shame if their career went as unnoticed as Discount’s did, gaining notoriety and acclaim only once they’re gone. The fact that their lead singer has girl parts isn’t their biggest selling point.

 Lemuria is a kick-ass band with a few releases:

iTunes: A few split releases, but make sure it’s the right band.

Asian Man Records: CD and LP of the full-length. Can also purchase the First Collection as well. 

Other merch/split 7″s: The ever-lovin’ MySpace…sigh. 

Pat entries Discount, female-fronted band, Lemuria, pop punk

Check out that gam! It’s a leg lamp! And in the spirit of A Christmas Story (which TBS is running on a freakin’ 24-hour marathon again), I offer up Fall Out Boy’s Yule Shoot Your Eye Out. Normally, I do not subscribe to the pop-punk-crap asthetics of Fall Out Boy, but I cannot tell a lie: I enjoy their long song titles very much. This one, Yule Shoot Your Eye Out, is obviously an homage to Ralphie’s mother in A Christmas Story and her frequent refrain in response to his desire for a Red Ryder BB Gun. And the tune’s not TERRIBLE. I mean, it could be worse, right? Yeah. It could. I haven’t even gotten to the Knight Rider song yet!

Sam asked for Christmas in Hollis, but as Kurtis Blow points out on Christmas Rappin’, that is plaaaaayed out. Rap has evolved so much in such a short period of time, it’s hard to believe what a young genre it is. Kurtis Blow was a pioneer. With Run DMC’s help, he became one of the first successful hip hop MCs and definitely one of the first to be signed to a major label. Todays MCs got nothin’ on Blow. I mean, he rhymes roly poly with holey moley. BRILLIANT! I shouldn’t front. The dude opened for The Clash, so that makes him OK in my books. And speaking of Christmas rapping, what more gift could you possibly want other than a song with David Hasselhoff and K.I.T.T. saving Santa Claus? Nothing. That’s what. Be grateful, dammit. You know who that is speaking as K.I.T.T.? That’s Mr. Feeny, goddammit. You show some respect for Mr. Feeny!

Scissors For Lefty brings us Christmas Intentions, a song about naughty kids who are going to get nothing for Christmas. Think about this song as you get ready to mark another year. On New Year’s Eve, my mom used to tell me “You have to behave all year now. Santa remembers.” That threat worked better than almost anything else. If I was ever going to do something that might get me in trouble, I’d weigh the possibilities in my mind and then make my choice based on how close to Christmas it was. I mean, Santa watches ALL the time? Come on! He’s gotta sleep sometime! I was more of a Calvin-type. In the battle between being good and bad, goodness hardly put up much of a fight.

But no matter how long I had to wait, it wasn’t as long as most kids. My family celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve. I don’t know why. Probably because my parents figured out early on we were easy to fool with a “Look! Over there! Oh, wow! While you weren’t looking Santa came!” Consequently, they never had to put up with a night of whining and pleading before getting up at 6 a.m. the next day to open presents.

This is the first year of my life that I won’t be spending Christmas Eve with my mom and dad and brother. I’m kind of sad about that, but I’ll see them in January. So I guess these feelings of regret and nostalgia are more because I don’t get to eat a delicious meal of Chinese food courtesy my hometown Chinese restaurant. I will miss you, ginger beef. When I moved away from home and had to travel to make it back for Christmas, Home on Christmas Day by Cyndi Lauper would play in my head. Being stuck in the city for Christmas when I just wish I could get home to relax is the worst feeling in the world. But like Cyndi says, I am just a thought away.

But enough of that gloominess!

Let’s talk about something else. I know! Drunks!

Fairytale of New York: Great Christmas song or GREATEST Christmas song? The answer is, of course, B. This is the best Christmas song currently in existence. From the drawling (possibly drooling) lament of Shane MacGowan, to the lilting loveliness of Kristy MacColl, this is just bracingly, refreshingly awesome. Long a favourite Christmas song in the UK, it’s been kicking around the airwaves on Christmas for 20-odd years now, consistently being named a favourite by critics and fans alike. So of course, in order not to offend anybody, BBC Radio 1 decided this was the year it should be censored.

Thanks, BBC, but no thanks. Kristy MacColl’s mother, the Pogues themselves, and countless listeners called the station to let them know in no uncertain terms that it was handily more offensive to edit the song than it ever would be to hear the words “cheap lousy faggot” uttered by MacColl.

First of all, I’ve heard it before. You’re not offending me because I already know the tune, dudes. You can take the words out, but their existence is made that much more obvious by their abscence. Second, I find it ironic that I can hear the intimate details of Jamie Lynn Spears’ sex life on the evening news, but I cannot listen to a Christmas classic unmolested. I feel like Senator Bulworth. “Obscenity!? Obscenity!?” Puh-lease. Luckily, the station saw the error of their ways and went back to playing the unedited version. A Christmas miracle.

So I guess that about does it for me for Christmas songs. Stay tuned for the songs and albums we all thought rocked the hizzy this year. Not sure EXACTLY when those are being made public, but be on the lookout!

Until then: Happy-Happy, Merry-Merry from your comrades in the Sound Salvation Army!

 

 Fall Out Boy - Yule Shoot Your Eye Out: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Kurtis Blow - Christmas Rappin': Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 A Knight Rider Christmas: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Scissors For Lefty - Christmas Intentions: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Cyndi Lauper - Home on Christmas Day: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 The Pogues - Fairytale of New York: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tanis entries Christmas music, indie rock, mix tapes, pop, pop punk, rap, the Pogues