Pop/punk? Check. Short attention span? Check. Is there anything better than a 9 song 22 minutes album to review when you don’t feel like reviewing anything? That was sorta rhetorical but you get the point. Anyway, I’ve enjoyed Pink Razors through the years and Leave Alive is no different. Perhaps I’m just a bit deaf though, I swear the band has turned the Superchunk influence up to ten here. And did this band always have female vocals? Whatever, I dig it! If you like pop/punk you can’t really go wrong with Leave Alive. And this is on No Idea. What more do you need to know? Oh and after further investigation the band did add Erin Tobey on guitar and vocals which would explain those sweet female vocals!

Label: No Idea

Pink Razors “Back Home”

It’s a King Thing – Kira from It’s a King Thing on Vimeo.

“Kira” is from It’s A King Thing’s amazingly great Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo album which of course is still available for Free Download! The band is doing a video for each song on the record. Stay tuned.

Went to a rock show last night and out of the four bands that I had never seen before, the best was the least “rock” of them all. The Restoration from Lexington, SC stole the show in my eyes. Led by beautiful vocals that remind one of Damien Rice or Andrew Bird, the band can lay down intricate arrangements as well as ratchet up the noise when they want to. The Restoration give off a cool Murder By Death-vibe at times as well. In exchange for your email address you can visit the band’s Bandcamp page and get some free songs. Check out “Constance” and “Reverend Samuel Harper” especially…well worth your time!

I had the pleasure of seeing Valdosta, GA’s Ninja Gun last week when they opened up for Tim Barry. I was already a huge fan of the band’s Restless Rubes (Suburban Home) album and the live show did nothing to deter me. The band that I’m constantly reminded of when listening to Ninja Gun are Old 97’s. Both bands have a way of melding alt-country/power pop to perfection. On Restless Rubes you can hear The Shins, Drive-By Truckers and just about everything in between. Ninja Gun’s live performance was surprisingly tight and the band definitely has a certain southern charm to say the least. I can’t help but humorously wonder how the band is perceived outside the south though. Regardless, more people should be listening to Ninji Gun as I like to call them! The band has a new EP coming out on Sabot this Summer.

Ninja Gun “Red State Blues”

Ninga Gun “Eight Miles Out”

Who? Fever Sleeves

What? Soft Pipes, Play On LP

Where are they from? San Diego, CA

What do they sound like? Fever Sleeves continue San Diego’s indie rock legacy. The band plays angular indie rock that fans of Q And Not U and Les Savy Fav will definitely pick up on.

Check out SAL’s review of Soft Pipes, Play On here.

Check out the band’s awesome “Futuristic Killings” Video here.

Where can I buy: No physical copies of Soft Pipes, Play On were printed but you can hit the band’s Myspace to buy other merch.

Fever Sleeves “Cusack”

Who? The Holy Mess

Where are they from? Philadelphia, PA

What do they sound like? Snotty pop/punk that reminds one of the best the genre has to offer. We are talking cream of the crop type stuff here. For fans of The Lawrence Arms or Smoke Or Fire you need this…NOW!

You can download the band’s EP Dismount from If You Make It. The Holy Mess will be releasing their next 7″ on the illustrious Evil Weevil.

The Holy Mess “It All Happened In a Ford Winstar”

Dear Suburban Home,

I’m writing to you today to ask you a favor. Will you please stop putting out these folk/country/Americana albums!? I mean, Yesterday’s Ring aren’t that bad but The Takers, well, I just don’t know. This stuff is getting kind of redundant. Maybe you can go back to putting out pop/punk again? At least for a little while perhaps? That would be killer! Or at least more bands like Look Mexico might do the trick. Thanks!

Still your friend,

Will.

P.S. Tim Barry is acceptable.

Yesterday’s Ring “Moving Out (To Florida)”

The Takers “Taker Easy”

One listen to Cincinnati, Ohio’s Mixtapes‘ Maps and you might think you’ve stumbled upon some lost gem from the dustbins of 90’s alternative rock. You oldies know what I’m talking about. Mixtapes could have easily been one of those bands that got inked during the major label signing spree of the early 90’s only to get no push, dropped and break up instead. While that might not sound like the best stamp of approval I mean it in the most flattering way possible. Mixtapes might be a little “guilty pleasure” at first but after numerous listens you come to the conclusion that these are just finely written pop songs with some punky tendencies to boot. Regardless of whether they came out in the 90’s or 2010 bands like Mixtapes still sound perfectly right to me. Wrapping up 10 songs in 18 minutes, Mixtapes’ debut might just be that next addiction for your pop sweet tooth. Let’s just hope they don’t go the way of their ancestors and end up collecting cobwebs in the back of some record store.

You can download Maps for FREE via digital label Death To False Hope Records. Click HERE for the zip.

Mixtapes “Nothing Can Kill the Grimace”

Mixtapes “Hope Springs Eternal”

I always forget about Lack but then they will pop up on my shuffle and I remember just how much this band ruled. When writing this piece it started out as a Band You Should Know but unfortunately changed to a Band You Should Have Known cause Lack have officially broken up. Hailing from Denmark the band evolved from your solid but somewhat typical screamo band into a full rock solid behemoth. Lyrically the band pulled no punches and their sharp tongue went hand in hand with their powerful musical assault. All three of the band’s albums stand tall on their own merit but my personal favorite is Be There Pulse. You can’t go wrong with any of them though.

Saturate Every Atom (2008)
Be There Pulse (2005)
Blues Moderne: Danois Explosifs (2001)

Lack “5 O’Clock In The Evening” (from Be There Pulse)

So, I didn’t really know how to handle Goodbye God, the new release from Paper The Operator. Mainly because I reviewed virtually the same album when it came out (with very limited release) as Jon Sebastian’s solo affair two years ago. The new version of Goodbye God is a bit different as it does add two additional tracks and new artwork to boot. Sebastian plays in The Color Wheels as well and both bands live off his knack for writing memorable pop hooks. While I do miss the rockness of the band’s previous release, Solemn Boyz, Goodbye God perhaps showcases Sebastian’s talents a bit more as it tones down the guitars and ups the intimacy. And if you want a taste of Paper The Operator and Sebastian’s songwriting prowess you can download Mount Bounty, which is a collection of demos, studio recordings, covers, and unreleased tracks recorded between 2000 and 2005. You can get that for free from the fine folks at Viper Bite Records who have released all of Sebastian’s endeavors to date.

Paper The Operator “Rock Dreams”