Hi Sorry State readers! Hope everyone is having a good week! In Sorry State land we’ve just been busy prepping for our Scarecrow comrades (i.e. half of Sorry State!) to go on their European tour very soon. How cool is that?

Anyway, my pick this week is the newly released No Knuckle S/T. The album was actually made last spring and is finally seeing the light of day. The band recorded these songs on 1/2 inch tape on an 8 track-tape machine, mixed down to 1/4 inch tape on a two channel reel-to-reel deck. The result of that laborious effort is something really fucking cool and different.

Where to begin? This album is a conundrum of garage rock, punk rock, noise rock, rock-rock, all the rocks. I guess you could just say post-punk, but with elements of everything but the kitchen sink. There’s a lot going on here, and that’s what I grew to love about the record. The opening track, The Ladder, is pretty standard late 70s post-punk but with some unexpected elements of late 60s/70s style rock. I wasn’t sold on this track at first, to be honest. Call me crazy, but there were moments when I felt like I was about to board The Crystal Ship, and that’s just not my journey. But then a standout melodic punk style bass line comes out of nowhere and reignites my curiosity. It feels like you’re being pulled in at least two to three different musical directions, and that’s just during the first song.

The second track, Advertisement, is what made me stick around. Easily my favorite track on the album. It’s fast and urgent, it’s tightly wound, and the vocals become more unhinged. Not to mention that I love a song that doesn’t just crap out at the end or fade into nothingness, and this song doesn’t do that. So don’t sleep on the last 15 seconds of Advertisement. It follows all the way through and it’s a good primer for the next track. No Knuckle keeps up that same energy on Sanitation. Fast and tight drum beats, razor sharp guitar, and melodic bass all serve as the perfect backdrop for the vocalist to continue to go off the rails.

Halo is a really interesting track worth mentioning because I didn’t like it much at first, and now it’s my second favorite of the bunch. Things start off a little strange with some Jim Morrison-esque vocals. I still had no interest in taking a ride on The Crystal Ship or lighting anyone’s fire. But, when the vocals shift back to the more erratic punk style, I decided that the vocal changes were actually pretty great and only added more depth and intrigue to the song. And that diverse vocal style is always perfectly paced with whatever’s going on around him.

The second side is a bit more streamlined and the contrasts between sub-genres of rock aren’t as sharp. Taken together, the whole album is a rollercoaster ride that doesn’t give you time to catch your breath. Non-stop, unyielding energy and guts. It actually gave me a little bit of anxiety! Nevertheless, It’s obvious that No Knuckle gave everything they had on this record, and their technical skill does not go unnoticed. A really ambitious effort that paid off, in my opinion.

Stand out tracks for me are Advertisement, Halo, and Sanitation. Take a listen below.

See ya next time!

Angela

https://noknuckle.bandcamp.com/album/no-knuckle-2

Hi Sorry State fam! How are you? I’m doing OK. It’s hot and humid as fuck here in Raleigh, NC. Raleigh happens to be one of the most humid places in the country and it’s not just because we’re in the southeast. It’s also because of our geographic placement between the beach and mountains. So we are sort of trapped by the humidity. OK let’s get to it.

My staff pick is the new No-Heads release, Concrete & Steel. I had never heard the band’s music before so I randomly gave this a shot, and I’m glad I did. It’s only two songs and both are worthy of being played on repeat. It has a pretty straightforward melodic punk sound with catchy hooks, standout bass lines, and big anthem style choruses that remind me of some of the 90s skate punk style bands. That said, there is a more substantive political tone to their music, which I’m drawn to. It’s not super in your face, but it’s there.

Concrete and Steel starts out with a short but sick melodic bass line and immediately breaks into the vocals. The vocals are assertive and passionate but not aggressive, which is a good match for their instrumentation. If I had to guess, Concrete & Steel is referencing the struggles of the blue collar and working class society. The New Normal is the standout for me. Immediately upon hearing it, Rancid comes to mind. The song structure is very similar to the style of And Out Come the Wolves. And you’d be a liar if you said that album isn’t an absolute banger.

Anyway I’m gonna keep this short and sweet and end things here. Take a listen and hear the new No-Heads for yourself! It’s got all the right ingredients.

https://no-heads.bandcamp.com/album/concrete-steel

Until next time….

-Angela

Hi Sorry State readers! Hope all is well. Things are good here. Busy… but busy is good, so thank you for your continued support of the store!

The Hazmats is my pick this week. They’re a brand new indie power pop project released on Static Shock Records, and comprised of members of Chubby and the Gang, Big Cheese, and Game. But it sounds nothing like any of these bands. It packs a totally different kind of punch, and very much worth checking out.

This new UK-based band has been compared to Teenage Fanclub, and that’s not wrong. But I hear more Jesus and Mary Chain, and that’s great for me because I love JAMC. You’ll hear their influence right away in the super catchy hook that introduces the first song, Empty Rooms. You might wonder, “what does this remind me of?” I will save you the time. It reminds you of Head On by Jesus and Mary Chain. It “makes you want to feel, makes you want to try, makes you want to blow the stars from the sky.” Be warned, the song is five minutes long. In punk time, that’s called an EP. But despite their roots, they aren’t on punk time. If you do think the song drones on a little bit, there’s a sick melodic bass line and drum beat in the last 10 seconds of the song that mitigates that issue perfectly.

Today is the second song, and it’s my favorite of the two. Clocking in at just under three minutes, Today is faster, less shoegazey, less fuzzy wuzzy, and more crisp and jangly than Empty Rooms. It’s catchy as hell and I’ve played it many times. You can’t ignore the Brit-pop vibe to both songs really, but I feel like that’s kind of unavoidable when making this kind of music.

Anyway, I’m digging The Hazmats. I think it’s really cool and brave that these guys came together to bring us something different. A lo-fi, melodic, hazy shoegazey, power pop gem.

If you’re into other Static Shock bands like I am (e.g. Boss, Neutrals, Powerplant), or the big aforementioned icons like Jesus and Mary Chain and Teenage Fanclub, or you just want to try something new and support punk dudes not doing punk songs, you should pick up The Hazmats. It’s limited to 300 copies, so hop on it.

Take a listen!

https://staticshockrecords.bandcamp.com/track/today

Hi Sorry State readers! Hope everyone is having a great week. Let’s just jump right in.

So it’s been six years since Bloc Party put out an album, and 17 years since they put out a good one. Understandably, my expectations were pretty low going into this one, but Alpha Games might just be their comeback album. Or at least their most promising effort in a long time.

Their latest release circles back to the fun, guitar-focused, dancey post-punk rock of Silent Alarm, but it’s more experimental with the addition of some darker beats and elements of hip hop. But to be honest, my praise and enthusiasm are almost entirely directed at the first side of the album. Alpha Games is so obviously front-loaded in my opinion that it’s confusing why they would put all their best songs on one side. Never dawning on me until now that my preference isn’t everyone’s preference. Maybe the stark contrast between the two sides was intended to just give us two different flavors. But I just don’t really like the taste of side B. At least I don’t have to get up to flip the album over, which is arguably the only real downside to listening to vinyl.

The opener, “Day Drinker”, instantly captured my attention with its catchy chorus. And Kele Okereke hasn’t lost his touch at all when it comes to his high-energy engaging vocals. And things get even better with the second song, “Traps.” This is the point I was is totally locked in and hopeful. Between Okereke’s flow and the fresh and interesting beats, it’s easily one of the best songs on the album. Sorry, but you can’t not like it. “Rough Justice” is another strong contender for my favorite track. There’s a lot going on in this one as the sound turns a bit darker and more new-wavey, and ends with an unanticipated burst of manic guitar and a drum solo that feels like the encore at a fireworks show. This song just gives the record a lot more edge.

Things were going so well… but the change of pace and general direction of the second side totally lost me. The energy and interest totally dissipates with the song “Of Things Yet to Come.” This song could be on the soundtrack for The Greatest Showman or a high school musical. At times, it sounds like there is an attempt to go in a new wave direction, but things just don’t quite work out. While the song “In Situ” does provide somewhat of a lifeline to an otherwise boring second side, the album doesn’t end nearly as strong as it started. That said, I still think it’s worth it. And hey, if Alpha Games were nothing but fun dancey grooves, it would be Silent Alarm. Regardless, I still think this is the band’s best album in 17 years. So if you liked Silent Alarm but then fell off, it may be time to give Bloc Party another chance.

The standouts for me are Day Drinker, Traps, and Rough Justice. Linked below is “Traps” if you want to give it a listen!

https://youtu.be/0Y86GEcmcnw

Thanks for reading!

Angela

Hi Sorry State readers! Here we are again. I hope you got a chance to read about and hopefully have a listen to Dominic’s staff pick last week, Laura Lee’s Women’s Love Rights. Music is an incredible outlet to seek solace when things are extra fucked up, and right now they are extra fucked up.

I wanted to take this time to just pay general homage to some women who showed me, when I was only a kid, that it was not only OK to push ourselves into spaces traditionally held by men, but that it was absolutely fucking necessary. Bikini Kill was that band for me, and Kathleen Hannah was that voice. She’s still that voice. And I’m about to hear that voice live next month!

Bikini Kill is often the face for the riot grrrl movement, but they didn’t start the movement. It was a subculture developed by a group of women who were tired of the sexism in their local male-dominated punk communities. Riot grrrl started as a DIY foundation that allowed women to have a free space to share their feminist political beliefs through art and zines. Women could publish opinion pieces that would have never seen the light of day in traditional literature. Bands like Bikini Kill and others naturally worked their way into the riot grrrl scene, and of course they were also influenced by predecessor icons like The Slits and Kim Gordon. There’s a lot more to it, but for the sake of brevity, I’m gonna get back to Bikini Kill.

Kathleen was the most bad ass front-woman. She just didn’t give a fuck. She stood up on stage in her underwear completely unbothered, unshaven, hyper-focused on getting their message across, encouraging girls to the front! Great book, by the way. Often heckled and even assaulted by men in the audience, Bikini Kill would not budge. An unapologetic force to be reckoned with, they are an important part of punk history.

I remember being so stoked to find a first pressing of Bikini Kill’s Pussy Whipped from Sorry State a few years ago, which I think is their best album. One of my other favorite Bikini Kill items (also procured at Sorry State) forever ago is the 7” New Radio single, as it has three of the band’s best songs: New Radio, Rebel Girl, and Demi Rep. That’s seven minutes of essential Bikini Kill.

Anyway, we typically stock many Bikini Kill albums, but they’re sold out now, so check back for a restock! And if you’re local, you never know what gems you may find lurking in the bins like I did. And if you’re just starting out on your Bikini Kill journey, I would for sure grab The Singles album to get the most bang for your buck. Pussy Whipped and Revolution Girl Style Now are other must haves!

I found all three songs that comprise the New Radio single if you want to check it out below!

Thanks for reading! Have a good weekend!

Angela

https://youtu.be/91TC7BoWFvY

Hi Sorry State fam! I hope all is well and you’re out there catching shows and not COVID, and that you’re buying/acquiring cool shit to listen to!

My pick of the week is the newly released Spread Joy II album. As I was writing this week’s blurb, I noticed a pattern in my staff picks. I’ve totally been gravitating toward fun, fast, high-energy grooves, so the new Spread Joy was a no brainer.

Compared to their much loved S/T debut album, this one is a good three minutes longer. Clocking in at a modest 17+ minutes, the band continues to give us only what we need and zero filler. And they really do a great job deciding what’s necessary, because I don’t walk away feeling like I was short-changed at all. Speaking of short, the opening track, Ow, is a 45 second whirlwind that might make you second guess whether you have the album on the right speed. It’s so damn catchy and abrasive (in the best way). My point is it’s so satisfying I didn’t notice how short it was.

The album is clean and crisp, bouncy and frenetic, with sick bass lines that lock in perfectly with the super crisp and clean drum beats. It’s razor sharp all around, and just as tight as their debut. But head to head, this one has an edgier vibe, and I think that has a lot to do with the vocal delivery of Briana Hernandez. Which is fucking rad.

Briana’s vocal style is diverse and high energy. It shifts from bouncy and poppy to shrill and erratic. I wouldn’t call it riot grrrl, but it does toe the line here and there. At times it even feels like she’s about to go full Kathleen Hannah. I mean, I wouldn’t mind a few ear piercing, rage-laden screams, but I’m also perfectly content with her fresh and really interesting vocal delivery. A great example of that is on the song Discomfort is Palpable, where it sounds like she’s crying the song instead of singing it. And if that was the intent, it’s brilliant. I want to hear more people cry their songs. Not cry ON their songs. Cry their songs. That’s an important distinction.

Having not heard Spread Joy until this latest release, I didn’t know what to expect. They are frequently described as post-punk, which, sidebar, is such a catch-all that it tells us absolutely nothing. Just in general, it’s become nothing more than a “safe phrase” to spare oneself a stern virtual lecture on what is and isn’t punk. You know, a wise man by the name of Ian MacKaye—maybe you’ve heard of him—was once asked how he would define punk, and he said (paraphrasing) that punk is just a free space. A free space to create. And that’s what Spread Joy sounds like to me. They sound free. They sound unburdened by labels and constraints and rules. They sound like a band that’s here to move shit forward, whether we like it or not. They sound punk.

Oh! We’ve got the new Spread Joy album in black and also a stunning clear coke bottle green. I know colored vinyl isn’t everyone’s bag, but there’s just something about clear vinyl that sounds far superior to other non-black vinyl. And don’t sleep on their first album either!

That’s a wrap for me. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Hi Sorry State fam! I hope everyone’s doing well out there, considering. Like a lot of people, I’ve been sort of stuck in a state of anger, fear, and disappointment with our fucked up government for a while now and the current state of absolute insanity. But music is a great outlet for all those shit feelings, and it’s always given me a sense of community.

Ya know… community is great and all, but I also feel like kicking some heads, and that’s my segue into this week’s staff pick. I’ve been really digging Headkicker’s debut release, presented by our own Sorry State Records.

Headkicker’s debut is an exhilarating 13 minute ride that keeps the same energy from start to finish. “The Law” is the opener and the standout track for me, as it just busts the door down and immediately grabs your attention. It’s fast and intense, with great vocal delivery to match. It’s got a bouncy post-punk beat with a dash of garage rock. Another standout, “Televise,” is reminiscent of late 70s punk, both with the vocals and the more urgent guitars. And the song “Future” feels like the punk anthem of the bunch, so it makes for a great closer.

Headkicker pays homage to its predecessors with its diverse mix of punk styles, but it’s by no means just a walk down memory lane. It incorporates such an interesting blend of different sounds that keeps you on your toes. There’s also a well-crafted shift in musical styles and structures throughout, and they maneuver these shifts with ease. It can be a tricky thing to experiment in a short amount of time without sounding like you’re throwing shit at the wall hoping something sticks. It’s clear Headkicker knows what they’re doing, because everything seems to stick. I can’t wait to see what else is in store for this band.

Oh, we need to talk about the packaging for a second, because it’s just so fucking cool! The retro vibe of the polka dots really makes it stand out, but it’s the braille on the pink outer strip for me.

By the way, this is a limited run and we only have a handful of these cassettes left, so I would grab it while you can. You won’t be disappointed!

Check out the opening track, “The Law” linked below.

https://sorrystaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/headkicker

Hi Sorry State readers! Hope everyone is doing well. Or at least above average. I realized after the last couple weeks that I just jumped right in to the staff picks and never really introduced myself here. I will keep it brief. I’m Angela. I’ve been an avid Sorry State consumer for years and have accumulated some of my most prized vinyl here. I worked at two record stores a long long time ago in college, and then some more years passed and I became a psychologist. I’m also pretty unconventional, and nothing is more fun than working for a record store. Let alone my favorite record store, and with some really cool people. It’s a pretty ideal gig to be surrounded by music, talking about music, and also writing about it… which brings me to my staff pick.

The Neutrals Bus Stop Nights EP has been flying off the shelves here since it released. I keep a stack of them next to me because I pack them in so many orders! It really is SO good. It’s a straightforward, poppy, jangly, post-punk gem with super clean guitar work and complimentary vocals. Allan McNaughton’s Scot accent is apparent, but it comes to the forefront in the ridiculously catchy song, Gary Borthwick Says. This standout track was love at first listen. It’s a song about a bullshitter type of guy, with great lines like “Gary Borthwick is completely sure he played bass guitar for The Cure.”

The EP accomplishes a lot in only 11 minutes. It’s cohesive, and there’s a thoughtful dichotomy between Side A and Side B. The first side is fun and jangly, with clever punchy lines. Side B is less harmonious, and goes deeper, delving a little bit into new wave post-punk. On the song Pressure of Life, I got a late 70s Cure vibe (think of the album Three Imaginary Boys). The EP wraps up with my second favorite track, New Town Dream. The guitar speeds up, and the band delivers what I think is the catchiest riff and best drum beat on the EP. And then it’s over. You’re sort of thrown out of the car while it’s moving, but you’re not mad at it. You just want to get back in that car. So, by my calculation, you need roughly three spins to feel more satisfied.

So yeah, the only downside to the new Neutrals EP is that it ends. After my very first listen I thought, aww, that’s it? And I can’t think of a better indicator we have something special on our hands. Grab it! You won’t regret it.

Link below to check out the standout track “Gary Borthwick Says.”

https://staticshockrecords.bandcamp.com/track/gary-borthwick-says

Thanks for reading!

Angela

Hi Sorry State readers! So this week I felt compelled to write about the Wet Leg release. I was initially very intrigued and confused by the hype surrounding it. I couldn’t help but notice that people across different demographics with very different music tastes were touting this album all over Instagram. Not to mention, Wet Leg had already been gaining commercial recognition as a front runner in the UK billboard race.

And I gotta say, I really like it. Wet Leg S/T is a bratty, humorous guitar pop album with catchy hooks, and riffs and fuzz reminiscent of indie rock’s past. It also feels retro at times. It’s not super groundbreaking, but it’s super fun.

I’m really into riot grrrl type shit, and Wet Leg isn’t that, but it still has enough edge to keep me engaged. The confidence with which they deliver their lines is pretty infectious. It’s probably the Gemini in me, but I’m attracted to the unapologetic emotional confusion present in the songwriting. It’s like telling someone “fuck you! I hate you!” but motioning for them to call you later.

And given that it’s an indie album, you’re for sure getting some “adulting is hard” content, whether it’s sincere or making fun of the young millennial stereotypes. You hear this in the lines “I went home all alone. Checked my phone. Oh no. Oh my God. Life is hard. Credit card. Oh no. You’re so woke. Diet Coke.” Yeah, it’s silly, but it’s still funny and pretty on point.

I will say that the album’s tempo can be a little samesy in the first half of the album, but there are a couple gentler, wispier ballads toward the latter half to break things up. Personally, I happen to like an album that you can depend on to keep the same high energy, and won’t just abruptly bring you down just as you’re gaining the momentum to do things.

Chaise Longue is the big hit on the album but check out Angelica, Loving You, and Piece of Shit. Songs like these may help to ensure that Wet Leg isn’t buried in the one hit wonder graveyard anytime in the near future.

So again, why is this album, in a sea of indie releases, getting so much attention? The best that I can come up with is that it’s not just a fun album. It’s a fun album that just happened to come along at the right time, and timing really is everything.

Link to one of my faves (Angelica), the fourth single from Wet Leg:

https://youtu.be/8qWHthLQ1Uw

Hi! So my pick for this week was a no brainer. I’ve been listening to Car Seat Headrest for the last couple weeks to prep for their show that was supposed to happen a few days ago, but their singer got COVID. That one hurt, but after 25 months of this shit I think one develops an immunity of sorts to COVID-related disappointment.

Given that I can’t gush over how great their show was, I will take a minute to gush about their 2016 release, Teens of Denial. First, I think it’s interesting and also kind of painful (for them, not me) that CHR (which was really just a very young Will Toledo at the time) had put out 12 full albums on Bandcamp before getting signed to Matador in 2015.

Teens of Denial isn’t easy to describe. It’s not just another indie rock album. It’s a much more dynamic and experimental indie rock album. There are a ton of different song structures, and sometimes that structural change happens within the same song. The Pixies-esque brash drums coupled with careful use of horns also help to add dimension to the album. I’m pretty sure they took these twists and turns to distract us from the fact that the album is 70 minutes long. But I didn’t even complain about that until I found out many listens later, so that’s not even a legitimate complaint.

It’s on this record where we start to hear Toledo’s vocals push out over the instruments, which is great when the lyrics are totally worth overpowering the instrumentation. And they are. Teens of Denial is so lyrically strong in its wit, intellect, and word play, that I found myself honing in on what Toledo was saying and less on what the band was playing (for at least the first few plays). For me, mediocre or even kinda shitty lyrics are not a deal breaker. It really depends what kind of band you are. BUT, if you’ve got some really smart, clever lyrics, I will probably fall in love with you.

One of my personal favorite lines is in the chorus for “Fill in the Blank” where Toledo laments “you have no right be depressed, you haven’t tried hard enough to like it.” And so much more where that came from. Toledo definitely has that Stephen Malkmus “lyrics that are funny to smart people” vibe going on. Although I don’t really think CHR sounds like Pavement as a band, I think that if you DO like bands like Pavement, Neutral Milk Hotel, early Modest Mouse, Cursive, etc. you will probably like this record.

Like I said, the album isn’t easy to describe. It would be a cop out to say this album sounds like insert 90s indie album here. Sure, every band is built on the backs of some existing foundation. It’s obvious that foundation for this album happens to be 90s indie rock. BUT, the songwriting that went into this album is easily some of the best I’ve heard in the last 10-15 years. Plus, Daniel said he really liked it. So there.

Thanks so much for reading!

Angela

If you want to check out Teens of Denial, I’ve provided a link to one of my favorite songs below: