Introduction
Five Songs, 7/5/2021
Five Songs

Five Songs, 7/5/2021

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Pardoner, "Uncontrollable Salvation"

Another cut from the first Pardoner album, which is just a delightful rock discovery from a few years back. I went in totally blind, just a single review I'd read, and it hits me just right. There's the right amount of stank on the guitars, the tempo drives nice, it's just good stuff all around.

Earth, Wind & Fire, "Reasons"

So smooth. The lights in the room just spontaneously dimmed here.

Ezra Furman, "Suck the Blood From My Wound"

I feel like this is maybe the sort of thing I would like more if I paid more attention to the lyrics. But I don't, not really, and as a result I think it's perfectly pleasant but doesn't really grab me. Once again: that almost certainly makes me a bad music listener.

The Skoidats, "Granted"

Didn't we just have the Skoidats? I can't possibly have that many records from them, can I? [checks] Just two! Well, whatever, this is fine.

Pennywise, "Unknown Road"

A thing that would be completely alien to my kids is the concept of trading tapes. But back in the early 90s, trading tapes with people was an easy way to get exposure to a band I couldn't hear on the radio or on MTV, which were pretty much the only way to hear music without buying it, unless my friend had a copy. So, I made contact with various people around the country, and we would periodically send tapes to each other with new stuff that the other person might like. These weren't mix tapes, not really, just "hey, I think you might like this album" kind of things. The idea of sending a physical object across the country to a stranger, just so they could hear an album, seems like a very distant concept.

I do miss this sort of thing. I wouldn't say that streaming music is a bad thing, not really. I wouldn't choose to go back. However, there is a thing lost when access is so easy. Among other things, I don't really stick with albums as long if I can just move on to the next one. The thrill of discovery also isn't the same as cracking open the shrink wrap on a CD and popping it in for the first time. But, then again, I'm also old and broken down. Maybe teenagers still have that same thrill?

Well, at any rate, there was a guy in California who was probably my most frequent trading partner. He was a reliable source for introducing me to California punk bands, with Samiam being one of my favorites that he brought to my attention. Pennywise was another band from him, and while I don't love them, they put out some pretty good records in that Bad Religion hardcore mode. They would later have some decent hits, but I stopped at this album.

Joshua Buergel
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