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Hi Sorry State readers! Hope you all enjoyed some time off and relaxed a little. I’m kinda struggling with small talk relevant to last week, so let’s just not. But it is nice to see you again!

This week I’ve been enjoying the debut EP from Phil & the Tiles, a six-piece band hailing from Melbourne, Australia. First, let’s just get something out of the way. No one in the band is named Phil. Now we can move on.

It’s definitely on brand for me to sniff out the new post-punky titles, but I was also entranced by the colorful psychedelic artwork on this one. Either way, I’m into it. It’s a fresh take on post-punk with swirls of psychedelic sounds. It also has some new wave and power pop moments, and it all works really well together.

The most buzzed about track is Nun’s Dream. It’s about a nun having dirty, filthy dreams and wakes up plagued with shame and guilt. Frankly she’s being a little hard on herself. Anyways, if you’ve heard one nun shame story, you’ve heard them all. But the vocal interplay between the singer and back up vocalist sounds good and works best on this track. Normally I’m not a fan of that unless your name is Pixies or Sonic Youth, but I gave it a few more listens and now I really like it. It’s also the most power pop song on the record and has some cool synthy moments.

Personally I enjoy the song Health/Body more. It’s the punkier track on the album and more abrasive than the others, but it’s not at all out of place. It’s for sure the right choice for an opening track. It also flows really well into the next track, Elixir, which starts out sounding kinda like a Pixies track from Doolittle. It’s the most new-wave sounding of the bunch. The closer, Trepanation, is another favorite. It shifts toward the jangly melodic pop sounds of early 80s alt rock. You wouldn’t mistake it for The Cure or REM, but there’s something in there that feels familiar to that particular transition in music.

Overall, something I enjoy about this record is that the band draws from different styles and sounds, from the synth to the psychedelic, but it’s not overpowering. It’s just enough to freshen things up a bit.

I like it. It’s cool. Give it a try.

Thanks for reading. See ya next week!

-Angela

Hi Sorry State people! I hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy! I just got over some weird flu-ish type thing that knocked me down for a couple days. Happy to be back at it with the staff picks and listening to a ton of new music in general.

This week’s pick was pretty easy, and it’s Cherry Cheeks S/T. Emerging from the pandemic, this is a solo project created by Kyle Harms. While some of us were deep in the throes of depression and produced nothing more ambitious than breathing and blinking, this dude was harnessing his creativity and putting in the work. It sounds like a punk album dipped in pop. Just a quick dip to give the music some bounce, but without totally diminishing the frustration and general displeasure with life that likely fueled the creation of the record.

The songs are all really high energy with interesting sounds that work well together. It’s super hooky and bass-driven with some great melodic moments, and simple, catchy choruses. There are a few tracks that sound a bit samesy, and the overall tempo doesn’t change much. I also think the album is back-loaded, but there isn’t a song on the album that I dislike.

I guess this is egg punk, but songs like Boxes sound much cleaner and sharper than your typical egg punk. Security is another solid track that’s reminiscent of good old classic punk. Trickin’ is a song that flips the switch and sounds much more erratic, but it’s also the most fun to listen to. The chorus is undeniably infectious. But if that’s not your thing, there are plenty of tracks that keep things from getting too eggy. I don’t dislike egg punk at all, but I fucking hate the name egg punk. It’s almost enough to keep me from listening to it just to prevent discussions that may require me to say egg punk too many times out loud.

The song Gone is a great closer to the album, and for me it’s the standout track. It’s different from the other songs and this is where the distortion is more apparent. It also has a late 70s synthy new wave feel to it, and on this track Kyle Harms sounds like an unhinged version of Rick Ocasek.

Overall, this Cherry Cheeks album is really enjoyable. You may not bring it to the proverbial desert island, but throw it on when you have to clean your house and I promise you will feel less miserable.

Thanks for reading! See ya next time…

-Angela

Hey fam! How’s everyone doing? All is well on my end. The two days of Fall we had were so great, but the weather said “siiiike it’s still summer, burn in Hell!” so it’s gonna be like 80 degrees all weekend. So gross. Fake Fall is real, and it hurts.

No internal debate necessary for this week’s staff pick. Hands down, it’s the Judy and the Jerks Music to go Nuts LP. To call it an LP is a stretch to be honest. It’s more of a super solid EP. Anyway, I’ve heard bits of this record coming from Daniel’s office and I’ve asked what he was listening to on at least two different occasions and the answer was always Judy and the Jerks. So I figured it was time to sit with it myself. I played it, loved it, and haven’t stopped playing it.

This record is a great mix of sounds that all work. Some of it has a more playful retro surfer punk sound with the snotty vocals, and some of it is hardcore. There’s even a more lo-fi punk track for good measure.

The tight AF rhythm section and meaner sound on the song Nothing to Prove stopped me in my tracks. It’s very anthemic and I can see this one getting a crowd going. Scorpion is another one on repeat. You can’t not like it. Kudos to Hampton Martin, who has a real talent for sliding in and effortlessly syncing up to the beat. I’m such an appreciator of a really tight and instinctual rhythm section with clean drum beats and catchy bass lines. A lot of times you’re lucky to get one or two songs where the bass stands out, but on this record the bass is THE standout for me.

California is the catchiest, danciest song on the record. The lyrics are super fun (“start a band and tour the Northwest, maybe we could even play the Olympia hardcore fest. Make it big just like Black Flag. Be on the cover of the Maximum Rocknroll mag”). Delivered with bratty sarcastic vocals and a great beat, it’s kind of addicting.

The band really switches things up with the closing song, Control. This is a way more lo-fi, dare I say grungier sounding track with an intro that seems longer than most of the songs. It’s not though, don’t worry. The guitar really shines on this track, even leading the song into noise rock territory for a brief moment toward the end before reeling things back in. It’s a really well-rounded song that adds interest to the mix and reminds you of what the band is capable of. I think it’s a cool move to close the album with a track that sounds the most different from any other song on the album.

We have a few copies left, and I highly recommend it. I’ve been keeping track of my top 10 records for the year and this one just made its way in.

Thanks for reading!

Angela

Hi Sorry State fam and happy early Halloween! I’ve been trying to squeeze in some seasonal activities, so I went on one of the ghost tours they do in downtown Raleigh. They are kinda expensive but fun. And this one gave away prizes! I’m super competitive and a nerd, so I won almost all the prizes except one, and that was only because I didn’t want to be greedy. But to the person who won that last prize (as I’m sure they’re reading this), I let you win. Just saying.

OK, enough bragging about winning pens and beer koozies. First, kudos to Jeff because his Halloween enthusiasm made the newsletter and store super fun and Halloweeny this year! Don’t forget, if you come to the store in full costume Friday through Monday, you will get a discount and treats!

I love Halloween and I love a theme when it comes to music, so I was definitely on board with the theme for staff picks. I did have a hard time between picking a movie or a soundtrack, or both, so I picked the soundtrack from the 1985 classic, The Return of the Living Dead! Turns out Jeff originally picked the same album. So we had a back and forth of “you do it… no it’s cool you can do it…. no really, you do it.” And here we are. But with Jeff’s horror movie and music collection, I knew he would have no trouble with a backup plan. Great minds think alike! This 80s classic is one of my favorite movies of its kind, and the soundtrack is punk rock Halloween gold.

Let’s just nerd out for a minute about the movie as it has some pretty unique features. Not only is it the first of its kind to show zombies running, the zombies have an affinity for eating brains as opposed to your lame, garden variety human flesh. These are sophisticated zombies.

I’m not going to give a play-by-play of the movie, but it’s so funny when the old warehouse foreman is showing off to his employee Freddy by hitting the drum of toxic gas. He wanted to show him how “sturdy” it was. Unfortunately, his demonstration was more about showing Freddy how not sturdy it was, as his flex resulted in the release of toxic gas. The fatal error brings the corpses in a nearby cemetery to life, and we have ourselves a movie.

The movie is made even better by Freddy’s group of friends with amazing 80s punk names like Spider, Trash, and Scuz. That actually sounds like a really good band name. Spider, Trash, and Scuz. It’s up for grabs!

Speaking of which, let’s try to get some words in here about the music on the soundtrack. You’ve got some killer late 70s/early 80s bands like The Damned, T.S.O.L, The Cramps, and 45 Grave. 45 Grave is the first band that comes to mind when I think of this soundtrack given their legendary status as pioneers of American goth rock. What makes it super cool is 45 Grave did a heavier version of their song “Partytime.” Great track. Fun fact: members of the band got to be extras in Blade Runner!

I gotta backtrack here and talk about The Cramps kicking things off with the mid-tempo punk rock track, “Surfin’ Dead.” What kind of 80s zombie flick would it be without The Cramps? Further, what is Halloween without The Cramps? Another fun fact: Poison Ivy played both bass and guitar on that track, and I think the bass guitar became a permanent fixture for The Cramps after that, or somewhere around that timeframe.

People were kind of down on T.S.O.L. by the mid 80s because their sound wasn’t punk enough or some shit. Even if they lost some punk points, I don’t really care because “Nothing For You” is one of my favorites on the soundtrack. The intro is great, the bass sounds great, and it’s just got the perfect vibe for the genre and the time period. So what if I think of Billy Idol every time I hear it. It still rocks.

Obviously The Damned is a perfect band for this soundtrack and they definitely bring the riffs, but let’s move on.

Synth pop group SSQ rounds out the soundtrack with a couple tracks. Those songs definitely sound the most dated. I knew nothing about SSQ except for their contribution to this soundtrack, but I’m happy to report that I now know two things. I never knew that Stacy Q, the woman who would later grace our eardrums with the mega hit “Two of Hearts,” was the singer for SSQ. Personally I prefer the “Two of Hearts” Stacey Q.

I’m not lucky enough to have the original soundtrack on vinyl, but this reissue from a couple years ago is pretty cool. To be honest I’m not big on soundtracks because they are either movie scores (boringggg), or the songs are just too all over the place. When I put on a record, it’s because I want a certain sound or I’m in a certain mood. It’s a thoughtful process. The problem with most soundtracks is that they fuck up the process for me. I don’t want to hear Simon and Garfunkel and then N.W.A. back to back (I don’t think there is a soundtrack with those two bands on it, but you know what I mean). I like both styles but not at the same time. I much prefer soundtracks that capture the movie as a whole. I don’t want a bunch of random songs from random scenes that only make sense if you’re watching the movie. This soundtrack can stand on its own and its curated in a smart way that mirrors the movie’s humor, style, and fun.

OK, that’s enough of me pretending to know shit. I hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween!

Thanks for reading,

Angela

Hi Sorry State friends! Hope all is well with you. Things are good on my end. Super excited for Fall, the best time of the year! The weather here in Raleigh has been beautiful this week. You never know, it could be 89 degrees next week, so I’m enjoying the current weather while it’s here. Ok let’s jump in to the music!

My pick this week is The Muse Ascends by Girlsperm. I’ve heard a few gSp songs here and there but never a full album. Being a huge Bikini Kill fan, I was super psyched to hear this, as riot grrrl punk legend Tobi Vail plays drums. She is joined by Marissa Magic and Layla Gibbon, who are no slouches either. The trio has great chemistry and compliment one another very well.

This album definitely has a riot grrrl sound, kind of like if Bratmobile and (Janet-era) Sleater Kinney had a baby, but it’s noisier and more musical. True to form, gSp has the loud bratty vocals that sound like a cheerleader who will burn your house down after the game. However, there is a great interplay of vocal styles between band members if you need a break from being screamed at. A perfect example of this is the fifth track, Not Natural. It’s got this haunting feel to it like they’re casting a spell. It’s not nearly as fast, but still noisy as hell.

Sugarcide is a big standout for me, and it’s the perfect second side opener. Tracks like this really tie in well with the faster and more chaotic songs on the album. You will recognize a familiar sound right away, or you should. It’s the keyboard part of the 1969 hit Sugar, Sugar by The Archie’s. You know the song, right? It goes something like “sugar (do-do-do-do-do-do), ah honey, honey (do-do-do-do-do-do). It’s an infectious groove no doubt, so gSp puts their own twist on the do-do-do part and created a new song around it. It sounds really cool with an interesting mix of sounds.

What Do I Do With My Guitar is probably my other favorite song on the album. Such a great mix of “talk and sing” style vocals with Tobi’s pounding, perfectly timed drums all leading up to the bridge, which is the catchiest part. If I could choose one song to represent the album, this one would be it.

I’ve talked a lot about the vocals, but I think they use their vocals very creatively, as they weave in styles reminiscent of Pixies or the Breeders. It provides some great dimension. Most of the time, the guitar is really high-pitched and twangy, creating a really unique sound that becomes the focal point of the album. The whole record has a very amped up retro surfer rock vibe. Picture Tobi Vail playing a gig at a beach party that they get kicked out of two songs in.

Now don’t be alarmed that the album has a million tracks, as almost all of them hover around one minute. Anyway, give it a try! We have a few left in stock! The Bandcamp album is linked below for your enjoyment.

Thanks for reading! Until next time..

-Angela

https://thrillingliving.bandcamp.com/album/the-muse-ascends

Hey Sorry State readers! I hope you’re doing well. I don’t get out much, but I just read that we’re supposed to get some tropical cyclone type shit here in Raleigh? I hope I’m wrong because it sounds a bit dramatic to me. Time will tell.

On to the music. I’m doing something different this week. When I was listing albums on our Discogs site, I was sifting through some boxes of records and I came across Tegan and Sara’s Hey I’m Just Like You. Side note: this album is available to buy from our Discogs site. It’s a damn fine looking and sounding copy with the printed lyric sleeve, just saying. Moving on…

Anyway, I can’t say I know a ton from Tegan and Sara, but I like a few albums, and this is one of them. It’s their NINTH studio album. With this one, I think the sister duo made a really smart and timely move by re-recording demos of songs they had written back when they were teenagers and admittedly had a Kurt Cobain shrine. I have a Kurt Cobain shrine too. I call it “my record collection” and it’s one expensive fucking shrine.

So on this album, you can certainly hear their teenage hearts starting to realize that life can be kind of shit, but they aren’t quite at the point where they know life can be really shit. It’s cool to hear these coming of age songs re-recorded through the lens of experience and wisdom the band has acquired over a couple decades. I imagine it’s like going back and reading your teenage diary and making it sound less cringe. The thing about Tegan and Sara is that I always longed for a much more angsty sound, but angsty doesn’t always have to sound angry. That’s something that took me a long time to realize.

It’s interesting to listen now to the music they made as teens, knowing that they were holding in so much about their sexuality and how they felt about it. On songs like Don’t Believe the Things They Tell You (They Lie), they figure out that the cliche things your parents tell you when you’re young to make you feel better may not actually apply to you. Sara wrote that particular song in the late 90s when she was 15 and going through a period of self-hatred. If that wasn’t a theme of adolescence in the 90s, I don’t know what was. But, good news, I guess revisiting that period of time captured in those songs (while re-recording these demos) was actually really healing for Sara. I don’t know anything about writing music, but when I forced myself to read my high school diaries, it was not therapeutic whatsoever. It was more like “holy shit, you’re the same person, but just… older.”

Please Help Me is a favorite track on this album. Call me crazy or call me 100% correct, but I’d be very surprised if Taylor Swift didn’t listen to a lot of Tegan and Sara as she was doing the indie girl transition. Hold My Breath Until I Die is another good one. It has an unexpected, yet subtle, Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac feel to it. It may be the most mature sounding track on the record.

Yes, the music sounds like teenagers wrote it, because teenagers wrote it. Even if it’s been re-recorded. I think it’s a pretty brave thing to do to go back 20 years and work with that music again, because they weren’t just making their old music sound better. They were also revisiting the pain and confusion embedded in that music. Hot damn, is this a case study or a staff pick? Told you I was going down a different road today. It’s called Existential Crisis Avenue.

All in all, it’s a pretty cohesive poppy record with some nice synthy choruses. It’s a pleasant listen, and oddly nostalgic. Which makes no sense because this wasn’t my vibe growing up. If my mom didn’t bust into my room with a worried look on her face before telling me to “turn that crap down,” it wasn’t on my playlist. However, one nice thing about getting older is going back to music you discarded or overlooked, and discovering you kinda like it now.

But really, someone should buy it on our Discogs. It’s looks and plays great. It’s aesthetically pleasing (which is what drew me in in the first place) with its high contrast black and white art work, and matte textured jacket. I will also write you a special note when I fill your order.

Thanks for reading! See you next week!

-Angela

Hey Sorry State fam! How are you? Hope all is well!

I’ve been super stoked on the Yambag Strength in Nightmares 7” record. We’ve got something quite exciting here. I was born and raised in Akron (near Cleveland Ohio) and I’m always excited to hear new music from the area. Historically, Cleveland’s hardcore scene isn’t that prominent in the grand scheme of things. But, it certainly has a reputation for being angry, chaotic, and nihilistic. Let me tell ya, Cleveland has a special way of breaking your spirit, and it’s only natural that their hardcore music would reflect that. Sounds nice, eh? Oh! There’s this super interesting documentary called Destroy Cleveland that captures the madness of the scene from the 80s to the early 2000s. But in true Cleveland fashion, you will likely never be able to watch it. Unless you have a bootleg of the rare screening from years ago. Basically, it’s just hard as hell to find.

With all that said, I haven’t been really hyped on a Cleveland release until now. Enter Yambag. Strength in Nightmares is one of my favorite releases of this year, period. Some of the fastest, most exhilarating shit I’ve heard in a long time. It’s seven tracks in a little over eight minutes, and that eight minutes flies by so fast.

This record is pure chaos. I could have summed up my staff pick with that sentence alone and felt pretty satisfied that I covered everything, but I will continue. Every track is rambunctious and noisy, but it’s also really well-done and even kind of fun at times. The second side is my favorite part of the EP. The extra snotty vocals, catchier beats, and the bass on their rendition of the song Lowlife is absolutely killer. It’s easily my top track and a great closer to the record. Capture the Flag is a close second. And what kind of Clevo style hardcore would it be without the singer’s random “blechhh” noises? That simple sound of disgust really put that Cleveland stamp on it.

Anyway, if you like your hardcore chaotic and fast as fuck, then this one is for you. It’s every bit as angry as early Clevo style hardcore but it has a catchier beat to it and not quite as soul crushing.

Now for the bad news. I’m sorry to report it sold out before I could get this up! (note from Daniel: a restock is on the way!) But I still really wanted to talk about it as it will surely make my list of top releases this year. I’ve linked the EP below so you can take a listen and hopefully snag you a copy!

Thanks for reading! See ya next week!

-Angela

https://convulserecords.bandcamp.com/album/strength-in-nightmares

Hi Sorry State fam! Thanks as always for your support and for reading! I’m gonna just jump into it.

I’ve got an extra special staff pick today. I’m pretty sure I don’t have to tell you who Scarecrow is, but they are a Raleigh-based hardcore band that also comprise half of our staff. If you love you some Swedish hardcore-inspired crusty punk, look no further than Scarecrow. I’m always drawn to the d-beat sound and to political punk in general, so I was excited to hear the much anticipated Crisis EP.

Released on Bunker Punks Discs and Tapes, Crisis is a seven-track, fast as fuck, razor sharp ripper. Infused with incredible chemistry between band members, their technical skill is apparent. One thing that popped into my mind after playing the EP a few times is that Scarecrow really knows how to write a fucking song.

What I really like about this EP is that it’s not just fast and mean hardcore. The band effectively uses different techniques that make the songs catchy and creative in a way that doesn’t compromise or water down the music at all. I really noticed this in their intros and outros. I really love that their outros aren’t repetitive at all. “Leeches” is my favorite track. The fury that is unleashed upon us around the 1:03 mark is infectious. There is a seamless vocal style transition into meaner territory beginning with the line “500,000 dead…..” Dude. That’s all I can come up with. It’s just …. DUDE. And I gotta say I’m a sucker for a good drum breakdown, and you definitely get one right around this part I’m referring to in “Leeches.”

“Abolition” is another favorite. It’s a total ripper. Holy hell, the riffage on that one!

The recording and overall sound quality is impressive. It sounds incredible. Very clean, but still raw. And right down to the artwork, you can tell that a lot of passion and effort went into this record from all angles. The jackets and inserts couldn’t have come out better (side note: I love the metallic touches). I really appreciate little details like that.

To steal a line from Jeff, this is one hot slab. Looking forward to what’s in store next for Scarecrow. Perhaps a full length? Just a thought. Mull it over.

Linked below is the Crisis EP on Bandcamp for your enjoyment.

Until we meet again, thanks for reading!

-Angela

https://bunkerpunks.bandcamp.com/album/crisis-ep

Hello Sorry State readers! Hope all is well with everyone. Things are pretty chill on my end.

This week I had fun randomly pulling new (to me) releases from the shelves and taking them for a spin. I also mixed things up by throwing on a blast from the past, after reminiscing with Jeff about a timeless banger. Rancid’s And Out Come the Wolves. I played it while doing my thing at our fulfillment center, and Jeff had it playing at the store at the same time. A fine tribute party it was.

I bet you think this is my segue into writing about Rancid for my staff pick. It’s not. My pick is the Anxious Pleasers S/T EP. But cool story anyway, right?

Dude, what is wrong with me? I’ve had this banger of a record at my disposal for like two months, and I should’ve jumped on it. Particularly being that it’s a Neon Taste release, and they put out some killer shit. And Anxious Pleasers is some killer shit. The Canadian trio is comprised of singer/guitarist, TJ Charlton (TV Freaks), drummer Nathan Burger (TV Freaks, Flesh Rag), and bassist Matt Ellis (Flesh Rag, Plasticheads, and The Vapids).

This 7-track EP clocks in around 18 minutes, which feels right. I don’t think any track overstayed its welcome. Pure entertainment. It’s fast as hell and it doesn’t let up. Not once. No time to catch your breath. No water breaks. Such great energy. I wish I could infuse this type of energy into my body through an IV drip.

I’m super impressed by the power the band exerts as a three-piece. Here I go again with the C-word but this is catchy as hell punk rock with some major riffage. So much so that I pictured TJ’s guitar just catching on fire after the last minute of the song Too Real. My personal favorite is the song Duh! It’s one of those songs you play like five times in a row. This is one of the more garage-infused songs, but it’s a subtle infusion. In fact, no particular style of punk or rock in general immediately comes to mind when I listen to this record. That’s especially true on Duh! It has a great chorus, it’s really well-structured, and so fun to listen to.

Anxious Pleasers totally delivered, and at no point did I lose interest, even for a minute. Aside from Duh!, my other favorite track is What Do You Care About. Both tracks are very sonically strong and the catchiest on the record, but there are no let-downs in the bunch.

As you can tell, I’m pretty stoked on this EP. It’s been on my radar since we got it, and I’m glad I finally took it for a spin. Give it a listen below and see what you think.

Thanks for reading! See ya next week!

Angela

https://neontasterecords.bandcamp.com/album/anxious-pleasers

Hey Sorry State fam. How are ya? I’ve been a bit under the weather this week, but on the mend. So yeah, enough about me. Let’s just get into the music. Which I guess is also about me because it’s my pick. Whatever.

This week’s pick is Chubby and the Gang’s Labour of Love EP, the three-track “Valentine’s Day” release that I’m just hearing now. Also to preface, I haven’t heard anything from this band prior to this, so I have the opportunity to form an objective opinion with no comparison biases lurking in the back of my brain.

Personally I don’t think there’s much here not to like. It’s three songs with three pretty different styles, which feels like the right approach when your EP only has three songs. I’m gonna take a wild guess that the opening track, Who Loves Ya? (Coup d’ état), is probably not a totally accurate representation of the band’s previous sound. It’s purposely bubble-gummy, but the kind you’d find on the floor of the garage. Garage-gum, if you will. It’s structured like a 70s rock love song that’s punk enough to lack commercial appeal. I hate how much I use this word, but dammit it’s catchy. Not gonna lie, I first thought the simple, lovey, anthemic chorus made the song a little bit karaoke-ish. But all in all I think the singer’s raspy, growly voice and the abrasive guitar legitimizes the song. You get what they’re doing, so I think it works.

The next two tracks will probably be more welcomed by a hardcore/punk audience. Twice Shy is more in your face, less sing-songy, but sticks to the theme. The singer’s voice gets a bit more throaty, the sound is more distorted, and the drums are heavier. I really like the closing song, Ain’t There No One? It’s kind of a nice combination of the first two tracks. It’s melodic and even a bit bluesy, but it’s got the punkier sound of the second track. That all said, I like that that the band changes up their style from song to song but still maintains cohesiveness across the record.

I would be remiss not to comment on the packaging. I admit it’s what drew me in. It’s fucking cute, alright? But also perfectly fitting for this concept-style EP. And it’s just corny enough to know it’s done that way on purpose. Yeah it’s a picture disc, but it sounds totally fine. I typically don’t love picture discs just because they are heavy and I hate records that take up too much space. I don’t even like double LPs. However, the craft of making a picture disc sound good has improved drastically in the last few years.

Anyways, take a listen and thanks for reading!

-Angela

https://chubbyandthegang.bandcamp.com/album/labour-of-love

Hey Sorry State readers! Hope everyone is doing well. This week has been pretty smooth, but there’s always a lot of cool shit in the works here in Sorry State land to gear up for.

For now, it’s time to talk about the music I’m digging, and it’s an easy one for me this week. If you follow us on the gram, you saw me post about Liquids: Life is Pain Idiot yesterday. I love the album title and that cool ass sticker on the shrink. A subtle yet effective way to elevate the album art. You also get a surprise flexi disc with four bonus songs, bringing the total to 27 tracks. Don’t panic! The songs are all super short, with some clocking in under a minute.

Anyways, the music. I love the snotty vocals and the super fast-paced and unrelenting energy this album delivers. It has that good old classic punk sound, but messier, and with some interesting surprises thrown your way. There are some cool drum beats and unique guitar interludes to mix things up, which the album kinda needs, as it can sound a bit samesy at times.

My very favorites are the first two songs, When You Were Born (You Should’ve Died), and Don’t Wanna Get to Know You. Very classic punk. I think the album is front-loaded, but it’s also possible that I feel that way because I need a breather by around track 14. I think the solution is to start with the latter half of the album next time to determine if I really do prefer the first half.

Like I said, the cool interludes help to mix things up and add interest. Also, the song Tryin is a perfect song to reset your focus. It provides a welcome change of pace and has a retro feel. It may be one of those love or hate songs, but I love it. Lemon Rice (Doomed to Live) is another one of my favorites, and I can see this one being a crowd pleaser at a show. Major singalong vibes. It’s super fast, and it’s just fun to listen to. Liquids also blesses us with a Meatloaf cover! Bat out of Hell, anyone? Trust me, Liquids manages to make it sound good, and thankfully they chopped about seven minutes off the original.

I think you will really like this record. I realize this is the second staff pick in a row where I mention the Ramones, but this record has a messier and overall more unrefined Ramones feel to it, with some power-pop, a dash of retro, and some weird, yet welcomed, additions. And did I mention a bonus flexi? This album has been a steady seller for us, so join the cool kids and grab one!

Thank you for reading! Until next week…

-Angela

https://liquids1.bandcamp.com/album/life-is-pain-idiot

Heyyy Sorry State readers! Long time no write! Like the rest of ya’ll, I missed the newsletter too, so it’s good to be back doing a staff pick.

First, a big big welcome home to Scarecrow! Congrats on a super sick and successful European tour and experience! But we’re also glad you’re back!

I struggled with what to pick this week because we’ve received a gazillion killer records that I’ve had a lot of fun listening to, and I found a few in particular that are staff-pick worthy. Ultimately, I picked the Lafff Box S/T EP. This is one of the first newer releases that I got hooked on in the last few weeks.

A tiny bit of background first. Lafff Box is a supergroup of sorts. Hailing from Leipzig, Halle, and Berlin, they’re associated with Lassie, Ex-White, Liiek, and Poky.

This 7” is a short and sweet four song gem. The opener, Master, drew me in immediately. I played it a few times before I even moved on to the second song. That’s my favorite one for sure. I’m a sucker for the classic “1-2-3-4!” intro, because it usually signals that killer energy is right around the corner. And it was. Master is a perfectly constructed song. It’s got a dancy beat, it’s riffy, never repetitive, and no weak spots. It’s catchy as hell.

In general, I love the clean, stop and start style drum beats throughout the whole record. It lays the foundation for the mechanical sounding vocals with vibration. The vocals also become more aggressive at times, and I love when a singer waffles between different vocal styles.

I form my opinions on music very quickly because I’m just impatient to come to a conclusion. As much as I’m in a hurry to form an opinion, I think Lafff Box is in just as much of a hurry to grab your attention and keep it. They make the most of every second they have, and they have a very full sound. I love the riffs, the tempo changes, and the fresh, weird noises peppered throughout the record for additional stimulation and intrigue. Overall, their sound is chaotic, but it’s not sloppy. It’s more like measured chaos. Careful chaos? That works too.

That all said, I think Lafff Box is a fresh take on garage-punk. For lack of a cooler way to put it, it just sounds good. You know when you’re feeling super blah, and then you put on the Ramones and suddenly you’re dancing around? Well, maybe you’re not dancing, but you’re at least moving in place? That’s the type of energy Lafff Box is giving me. Come to think of it, the drums do sound kind of Ramones-y. I’m getting off track. Just try it. Take it for a spin. Or at least a bandcamp spin. I’ve linked it below.

Thanks for reading!

-Angela

https://turbodiscos.bandcamp.com/album/lafff-box-s-t