When I was going through the web pages of Suburban Home’s recent vinyl clearance sale I saw Rhythm Collision’s classic (at least to me) album Clobberer! on sale for $1.49. I’ve got most of my Dr. Strange pop/punk records on vinyl but for whatever reason that was one I was missing so I jumped on it. What a great record this is! The band released a bunch of stuff but 1995’s Clobberer! was the record that defined Rhythm Collision…it was the band at their ultimate best. For fans of snotty pop-PUNK this is a lost gem. I remember driving to Augusta, GA to see this band with (and I think I am remembering this correctly) Horace Pinker, MU 330 and Agent Orange. And I can remember writing to the band and getting an awesome full page letter back from the lead singer, Harlan Margolis…man, those were the days. Good times, good memories and a great band!

Of note should be the fact that when skimming Dr. Strange’s site recently they have the Clobberer! LP on sale for $1.00!

Rhythm Collision “Bombs For You”

Rhythm Collision “Freak”

There’s no secret here; if you like The Weakerthans, you will have already bought this. If you’ve never heard of The Weakerthans, this could be a great way to get into them. John K. Samson fronts the previously mentioned, northern-neighbor rock band responsible for several excellent albums over the last ten years or so. This short 7” (City Route 85) marks his second foray into solo work and it is a quite, contemplative piece of audio that takes you on a very personal tour of a specific area in Canada.

“Heart of the Continent” sounds akin to some of the most stripped down Weakerthans tunes. Think “Left and Leaving” or “One Great City!”. It even has a similar walking bass line plucked along on an acoustic guitar. This tune was probably meant to make it onto one of the band’s albums but found a better lyrical home on this EP. “Grace General” and “Cruise Night” sound a bit like Samson breaking from the constraints of his band and writing much more for himself. “Grace General” sounds so close and intimate, almost like Samson is sharing a secret with you. “Cruise Night” bobs along on a simple plastic-straw drumbeat reminiscent of Onelinedrawing’s older work. I can almost imagine the 1989 Casio keyboard that was most likely used…it was probably missing a few keys, just like mine.

This is a beautiful effort from John K. Samson and the kind of record you feel privileged to hear. This is a master showcasing his talents in their barest and most honest form. I just hope this is a teaser for an upcoming full-length…

Label: Anti-

John K. Samson “Grace General”

Who? Sundials

Where are they from? Richmond, VA

What do they sound like? Power pop/punk goodness! Man, these guys remind me of someone and I just can not put my finger on it exactly. I’ve been racking my brain and going through old CDs but to no avail. Oh well, I will figure it out eventually and all you need to know is that this is great stuff either way. I could tell by the band’s influences that I was gonna love them…”The Lemonheads, Dinosaur Jr, Jawbreaker, The Weakerthans, Husker Du…”, I mean, c’mon!

If you dig modern stuff like Cheap Girls, Failures’ Union or Tin Armor you can add Sundials to your list of favorites.

The band’s first six songs are available for free download from If You Make It. And of those six, the first three songs will be released as a 7″ on Impermanent Records which I will definitely be purchasing!

Sundials “Neighborhood Well”

It’s not often I cover a band that has just one recorded song but I will make an exception this time cause I simply love this song. Outdoor Voices hail from Olympia, WA. Because the band members are in other projects, most notably Desolation Wilderness, it has not left much time for the group to come together. The band is hopefully going to record more in the Spring. Did I say I love this song!?

Outdoor Voices “Colors”

I think for a long time I didn’t give P.S. Eliot an honest chance cause I was mad that former band The Ackleys, who I absolutely adored, were sadly done. That seems petty I know but what’s a boy with a broken heart supposed to do? While The Ackleys specialized in power pop/punk, P.S. Eliot took a more lo-fi approach on their initial demo which honestly kind of threw me for a loop. While a lo-fi quality can enhance many bands I felt the production hindered lead singer Katie Crutchfield’s songwriting. For the most part, that has been rectified with P.S. Eliot’s debut LP, Introverted Romance In Our Troubled Minds.

The production has been ratcheted up here and that enhances Crutchfield’s infectious delivery and clever lyrical take on all of life’s ambiguities. Of course my favorite songs are the ones where Crutchfield’s vocals/lyrics seem to take center stage above all else. I still have no problem saying that for fans of Discount, Crutchfield’s bands are the closest you will ever get to touching that rare, special quality. My only issue with Introverted Romance In Our Troubled Minds is that at times songs do have a tendency to blend together. But with the majority of the material here being so strong its hard to not give the band the benefit of the doubt.

Label: Salinas

P.S. Eliot “Like How You Are”

I forgot to mention that Pianos Become The Teeth’s amazing album, Old Pride, was officially released last week on Top Shelf. I’m working this album for Beartrap PR and it has been getting amazing press so far and for good reason. It’s already got a definite place on my 2010 year end list and deserves a spot on Best New Music for sure. If you have ever been a fan of music that gets labeled as “screamo”, past or present, you need to hear these guys. Pianos acknowledge the past but forge their own path and give the genre a much needed facelift.

Pianos Become The Teeth “Filial”

so, the new episode of Waitlisted Radio is up! our first playlist features higher giant and pj bond (as well as lissie, we will eat rats to survive, and the loved ones). the second playlist was put together by pj himself when he was in town and we have a little intro he recorded to go along with it. we also have a loved ones interview on the episode. there is also a 3 cd giveaway, one of which is pj’s cd.

http://mediafire.com/waitlistedradio

we will be launching a website by the end of march to go with the podcast.

Stegosaur’s “A Headache” is from the band’s Adventure 7″ (which I just ordered) on Seafoam Recordings. Thanks to Jordan for the heads up! For fans of early Cursive, The White Octave and Criteria for sure. Speaking of, where the hell did Stephen Pederson disappear to?

The Magnetic Fields‘ classic triple album,69 Love Songs, is set to be released as a box set on limited-edition 10” vinyl in April on Merge Records. Oh, this is tempting!

The Magnetic Fields “Book Of Love”

I don’t know much about Jason Clackley but after only a few listens to his latest release, To The Few And Far Between, you realize this guy has got soul. From a bit of research I gather that this is Clackley’s first solo material plugged in and with a full band behind him. But that’s kind of misleading as five of the eight songs here still showcase Clackley in a predominantly acoustic setting. In those restrained settings he is reminiscent to the darker stylings of Elliott Smith perhaps. Quite frankly though I wish they would turn the rock up cause that’s when Clackley and his vocals really tend to shine.

There are eight songs here and they rotate back and forth between rockers and acoustic numbers for the most part. Clackley’s varied style works well in either format. His acoustic stylings owe more to an indie pop side but when he gets the full band behind him that is where you see Clackley’s soulful vocals take shape. I’m not sure how relevant this comparison is but vocally Clackley’s raspy and almost motown style reminds me of The Pietasters’ Stephen Jackson. “I Won’t Submit” and the epic album closer “Wave Of Emotion” provide a nice bridge between the two styles. To The Few And Far Between is a fascinating merger between soul and indie rock as well as a wonderful introduction to a singer/songwriter that deserves a lot more attention.

You can get the CD (with hand-screened covers) for a measly $5 from Great Plains Records and vinyl is in the works.

Label: Great Plains / Young Summer

Jason Clackley “I Can See”