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The Reatards – Teenage Hate (Shattered)
This is a recent reissue of the late, great Jay Reatard‘s first band The Reatards’ debut Lp from 1998. Fans of seminal Memphis garage-punks The Oblivians will recognize their obvious influence on this record, but it still roars in a way that certainly lives up to its title as Jay was only 18 when it was released. The reissue tacks on the cassette release Fuck Elvis, Here’s the Reatards.
Amy Winehouse – Back to Black (Island)
By now, everyone knows that Winehouse sadly passed away at the age of 27 last week. Though the tabloids feasted on her private life, she should be remembered for this stunning album. One of the few mega-popular albums of recent years that deserves its status, this has great, heart-wrenching songwriting, unbelievable vocals and brilliant production from Mark Ronson along with the retro-soul backing of The Dap-Kings. A modern classic.
Descendents – “I Don’t Want to Be Bootlegged” EP
I’ve been on a big Descendents and ALL kick recently, so I pulled out this bootleg 7” comprising 4 songs from the Enjoy! sessions in 1986. 3 of these never made it onto the album, but should’ve as it could’ve easily replaced the weak title track, for example. The fourth track is an alternate version of “Green” called “Red”.
Most of these songs are also available on another release called Bonus Cups. I hope this material will see official release one day.
ALL – Allroy’s Revenge (Cruz)
This is my favorite Scott Reynolds-era ALL Lp. Hopefully Scott will play a song or two from this one at his solo show here next week.
No Friends – “Another Wrong”
This is from the split 6” (yes you read that correctly) with Off With Their Heads where each band covers a classic punk song. No Friends tackle Dag Nasty‘s “Another Wrong” here and completely kill it. Kudos. I’ve never heard anything else by them, but now I’m intrigued.
Off With Their Heads – “Field of Darkness”
This is also my first exposure to Off With Their Heads and they do a nice version of Pegboy‘s “Field of Darkness” here. The vocals remind me of Leatherface‘s Frankie Stubbs, so I’d like it for that alone!
Eleanor Henderson – Ten Thousand Saints (Ecco, 2011)
Eleanor Henderson’s debut novel is a coming of age story set in the late ’80s in both Vermont and New York City. It will be familiar to anyone who lived through that time period and is especially of interest to those who remember the late ’80s hardcore scene and matinee shows at CBGBs, The Pyramid and other venues. In any case, it’s a stunning read that deserves all of the attention that it’s been getting lately.
Leatherface – The Stormy Petrel (Big Ugly Fish Recordings/No Idea)
My favorite album of 2010 (and of the last 2 years) is still going strong.
DYS – More Than Fashion: Live From the Gallery East (Bridge Nine)
This is an amazing sounding live recording of DYS’ first reunion gig last August in Boston. The show I saw in Baltimore a few months ago was comparable, but this one has energy that’s just off the charts, understandable for a homecoming gig as DYS were based in Boston for their tenure in the early to mid ’80s. Though it’s impossible to improve on Brotherhood, most of the versions of those tunes on here work really well in a heavier context with the exception of “Open Up”, which doesn’t quite click. And the material from the self-titled second album just completely destroys the recorded version. All in all, while most live albums (even good ones) are disposable, this one is an essential release for fans that also confirms how much of a powerhouse DYS remains almost 30 years after their initial run.
No Age with Chuck Dukowski and Keith Morris – Levitt Pavillion in Macarthur Park (Los Angeles) – July 21, 2011
Check out this amazing video of No Age with Chuck Dukowski on bass and Keith Morris on vocals playing a mini-set of Black Flag covers.
