Archive Review: "Dirtnap Across the Northwest" (2003)

Compilation discs are the best way for the budget-minded (read: broke) punk rawk consumer to familiarize themselves with a wide range of available muzak. Take, fer instance, Dirtnap Across the Northwest, an ultra-fine collection of tunes from a variety of rock ‘n’ roll types offered by Seattle’s Dirtnap Records at a reasonable (i.e. $10) price. This monster comp serves up a whopping 31 tasty tracks, each one previously unreleased and many actually worth your valuable time. As usual, some comp performances rise above the others, and it’s no different here. Among my personal faves are the Epoxies, whose “Join the Professionals” shows all the guts and fire of the Avengers a quarter of a century after the fact. The Stuck Ups’ “Missing You” is all unrelenting white noise/white heat while the Cripples sound like new wave techno-punx with their squealing synths and snotty vox.

I swear that Midnight Thunder Express are the New York Dolls reincarnated sans J. Thunders and with a lippier frontman than Buster. The Triggers also dance on the Avengers tip with “Song By Heart” and the Flip Tops deliver old-fashioned crash and bang punk rawk with unintelligible vocals and monster riffs. The Hollow Points rock like Stiff Little Fingers circa ’77, cranking out a nifty little anti-war ditty with balls. Lopez cuts a rug with “Cretin,” sounding like a higher-voltage, hardcore version of AC/DC with choogling guitars that will please punks and metalheads alike. The High Beams, the Cinch, the Spits – there’s something for every taste on Dirtnap Across The Northwest and not a single pop/punk poseur in sight. Dirtnap Records has become the Reverend’s new favorite indie label and it should be yours, too! (Dirtnap Records)

Review originally published by Jersey Beat music zine, 2003

Archive Review: The Exploding Hearts' Shattered (2006)

One of the most exciting and promising young bands to hit the scene in a generation, the Exploding Hearts literally came and went in a flash. The band released its excellent debut album, Guitar Romantic, in early 2003, the disc showcasing a brilliant mix of 1960s-styled garage rock and vintage ‘70s power-pop, influenced by ‘80s-era punk and UK rock.  

Guitar Romantic was well-received by both critics and the ever-critical punk community, and the Exploding Hearts became a big draw on the west coast club circuit. In July 2003, however, fate struck in the form of tragic accident that took the lives of band members Adam Cox, Matt Fitzgerald, and Jeremy Gage.

In a fitting tribute to the band, Dirtnap Records has assembled the appropriately-named Shattered from the odds and ends of the band’s too damn brief career. Shattered collects the band’s early (hard-to-find) singles, various demos, unreleased songs and alternative mixes from Guitar Romantic under one roof. The album offers a glimpse at a band that had the potential to become really big, one that drew its influences from a myriad of impressive sources, forging a distinctive and electric sound that was entirely its own.

Shattered stands well on its own merits as a highly-entertaining rock & roll collection; coupled with the essential Guitar Romantic, it bookends the legacy this fine band. Discover them now, boys and girls, ‘cause you’ll be paying mucho dinero for these recordings in ten years or so when the Exploding Hearts become a coveted cult band. (Dirtnap Records)