various artists - Suburban Home Records Teaser

Eight tracks from three bands on one CD-R. All cowpunk, trucker caps, flannel, and Hot Water Music pins on a backpack torn from one too many boxcars.

This one is one I can still sing along to from memory. It got an awful lot of play, in lieu of going out to shows in 2006 & 2007. Tim Barry was making a transition from beloved frontperson of Avail to singer-songwriter territory. Matt from Planes Mistaken For Stars was part of a new Denver band called Ghost Buffalo, trodding some of the same ground that Murder By Death and Lucero were traipsing upon. Then there were the honkytonkers in Drag The River, who came to my attention because it featured Chad Price from ALL and Jon Snodgrass from Armchair Martian. Suddenly, it was all clear to call back to those country records that were playing in my early childhood, to embrace George and Tammy and Merle and Loretta. Because the punks who hadn't pivoted to an electronic future were rediscovering their country pasts.

Discogs

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LaGrecia - On Parallels

I'm pretty certain I never saw LaGrecia live. If memory serves, the record was cut during the first None More Black break-up, with Jay on guitar/vocals, his ex-bandmate from Bound, Dana, on drums, and Sal from A Days Refrain on bass. It originated as a full-band version of Jay's OnGuard release in 2006, reprising one song from that little-heard session. They only lasted around a year; Jay left the band and restarted NMB.

The music is so much more anthemic than Jay's other projects; I think it's fair to draw a comparison to the songwriting in the Loved Ones or Gaslight Anthem. This is grown-ass, New Jersey punk rock, for when you finally settle down a bit and remember that Foreigner wrote some fucking jams, but you still like to sing along with the Ergs. You just want to holler along, pump your fist, drink a domestic pilsner to "On Parallels".

If you dig this, it's worth noting that Jay put out another record of this ilk under the wonderful moniker of "Former Member" in 2018. It's a little huskier, a little slower, but the songs are super strong, and the recording from Will Yip is on point, as should be expected.

Discogs

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