Playing Catch-Up – Tevs #02

Much as I wish I had all the time in the world, I don’t.  A side effect of my linear corporealness is that I can’t write detailed posts about all the music that I wish I could write about.  In an effort to catch up on things I want to share, below is a list of awesome records that have come out over the last several months.  So, you’re gonna have to do more digging on your own.  Trust me, it’s worth the effort!

  Mrs. Magician ‘Strange Heaven’ LP (Swami)

Royal Headache S/T LP (R.I.P. Society)

The Soft Pack ‘Strapped’ LP (Mexican Summer)

White Lung ‘Sorry’ LP (Deranged)

Something Fierce/Occult Detective Club Split 10” (Dirtnap)

The Briefs ‘Singles Only’ 7” Box Set (Modern Action)

Suicide Notes ‘Suicide Note’ 7” (Hovercraft)

White Wires ‘Crazy’ 7” (Total Punk)

Northwest Company ‘Hard To Cry’ 7” (Ugly Pop)

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Legendary Wings ‘Paper Roses’ LP – Brand Spankin’ #08

Released October 2012

Looking for fuzzy, blown-out, melodic rock ‘n’ roll bliss?  Well, look no further than ‘Paper Roses’, the new LP by Kalamazoo, MI's own Legendary Wings.  These guys had a 7” come out a few years ago that stayed on my turntable for ages.  After awhile I was thinking- these folks gonna do anything else?  The always sharp Dirtnap Records must’ve heard me and presented the world with this incredible record!  Legendary Wings strikes that balance between rockin’ tunes with your pals while poppin’ the tops on tallboys and honing tightly crafted melodies that are custom-made for repeat listens.  What the eff does that mean?  It means you can pump your fist and sing along with every track without getting bored by the pomp and polish that can ruin so many similar efforts.  Just blast the track posted here, courtesy of the excellent Get Bent, for evidence.  Once you’ve decided you agree with everything I’ve said (and you will) you can rush over to Dirtnap’s site and see if there are anymore gold vinyl versions of ‘Paper Roses’ available.  This record has jumped into the mix for my album of the year!

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La-Ti-Da Records - Willing And Label #02

A recurring theme in my record collecting seems to be random discovery. I like a band, find out they have a record out on a label that’s new to me and then… BAM! Another cool label with more bitchin’ bands. That’s exactly how I came across La-Ti-Da Records, a boutique style label from Vancouver, BC. Yup, Canada. Get used to it folks. Anyhoo, I dig The Tranzmitors and Needles//Pins quite a bit and in roaming the ‘net I discovered they had 7” singles coming out on the aforementioned La-Ti-Da. The two singles were part of a new Spring Collection that included three other singles by The React!, The Ballantynes and Fist City. Also in the pack was a cool hand screened card that featured buttons of the five bands and the label. I’m a sucker for singles series and similar things so I figured I’d get the pack. Great decision. Five excellent singles with some of the raddest packaging designs north of Mexico. Super crisp artwork on the sleeves and center labels. The tunes themselves are all outstanding. Fist City and Needles//Pins lean more towards the punk side of garage-rock while The Tranzmitors have perfected the late-70’s British power-pop sound with maximum catchiness. My two favorite records of the batch come from The React! and The Ballantynes. The React! turn in two garage-psych stompers while The Ballantynes offer up two jangly tunes heavily influenced by 60’s R&B and the girl-group sound. It’s safe to say I’m super pumped on this label and will be checking out their back catalogue to catch up on what I’ve missed. In the meantime, preview some tunes and peruse the e-chat I had La-Ti-Da’s own Tim Horner. Much appreciation for his time, especially since the crew is getting ready for The Fall Down/Get Down event they’re putting on next month. Be sure to check out their website for all their latest and greatest! 

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Three Random Queries For Tim Of La-Ti-Da Records

 1. Who designs your art- sleeves, labels, etc?

"While there’s four of us running the label (myself plus Vanessa Dandurand and Corey Poluk, who've been working double time on our upcoming weekender, The Fall Down/Get Down), Dale Davies designs all our labels and the lion’s share of our sleeves and flyers. A professional graphic designer, college instructor and design nerd, Dale has created that very decided consistency that has run through all of our releases, dating back to 2005."

2. What is your least favorite thing about doing a record label?

"Canada Post’s international shipping rates."

3. Why are there so many awesome bands in Canada?

"There truly are so, so many awesome bands in this country, both past and present. There are regional factors that can be attributed to a lot of this, but one thing that runs coast-to-coast among Canadian bands is that sorta retarded kid brother mentality, always trying to impress or outshine the older sibling. That older sibling takes the form of already established bands within the given Canadian scenes or the more influential bands stateside. Some of the bands get it completely wrong, but others raise the bar super high."

Warm Soda ‘Reaction b/w In Another World’ 7” – Brand Spankin’ #07

Released September 2012

Over the summer I was all like “Hey, who’s going to see Bare Wires?” when they were slated to hit Denver that next evening.  The answer was… nobody.  I found out they had imploded halfway through the tour that was to bring them to my fair city.  Enough has been written about that, so onward!  Matthew Melton is a songwriting machine and has quickly rebounded with his new outfit, Warm Soda (Rob Good and Sam Lefebvre round out the trio).  Warm Soda will naturally be compared to Bare Wires due to Mr. Melton’s distinctive song craft and voice, but there is a little more pep in this group’s sound.  The evidence is apparent on their debut 7”, ‘Reaction b/w In Another World’, courtesy of Southpaw Records.  The two power-pop gems on this 45 fit firmly between the aforementioned Bare Wires and another Melton vehicle, Snake Flower 2.  Vocal hooks, smart instrumentation and laid-back-yet-controlled execution propel this debut record. If history is any indication, Warm Soda will be cranking out more hits in no time!  Hurry up and get the 7” on peachy marble vinyl if ya still can. 

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