LONG GONE “Seven Songs” C22 (Reflective Tapes)

&when I say the instrumentation and tone both fall perfectly within the venn-diagram detailing alt/country, pop, and cowpunk’s overlap (like 90s J Mascis)…

&when I say that their bandcamp’s URL declaration that they in fact aren’t punk sounds about right, and like something I’ve heard before (like 90s J Mascis)…

&when I say that the lead singer sounds a good deal like Michael Stipe pointedly singing slightly out of key (like 90s J Mascis)…

I mean to say that Long Gone are both easily accessible and deviating juuuust enough from the formula. Check out the link below to hear for yourself.

https://reflectivetapes.bandcamp.com/album/long-gone
and/or
https://longgoneisntpunk.bandcamp.com/

--Jacob An Kittenplan

GOOD SIGN “Demo” C7 (Reflective Tapes)

Good Sign delivers the pop punk goods in the vein of early Superchunk and Versus, an indie snack for the nibbly passerby. The Portland trio barely hits the seven-minute mark on their demo, but it sounds like they’re having an awfully good time. Features members of In Flux, Congratulations, Taurean, Alien Boy, and Perfume V, among others. Whoever names their band after a Pavement song/lyric is OK in my book. Mine in college was called Dance Faction. Shruggity shrug shrug?

Hard not to crack a smile while listening to these four tunes. Have a blast, rockers.

Reflective Tapes

--Ryan

SPECIAL MOVES “January” C6 (Reflective Tapes)

Somebody was telling me the other day that it’s so hard to have fun anymore.

“Do you think it’s because of Trump?,” I asked.

We both disintegrated into motes of dust, the question hanging in the air for eternity.

“January” is a sort of cassingle from Special Moves, and with it comes six minutes of having fun. “Josh from BOX FAN/PARASOL/BLOOD ORPHANS and friends make lo-fi DIY rock,” and life becomes a smidge brighter for these 360 or so seconds. Sparks appear in the corner of our eyes; we exchange knowing glances.

Like early Superchunk if Mac was addicted to Auto-Tune, yet really not as off-puttingly weird as that sounds, Special Moves will warm the cockles of your old-timey indie rock heart.

Reflective Tapes

--Ryan

WORN LEATHER “Tape Three” (Reflective Tapes)

This tape grew on me. It is torch-bearing punk in the lineage of Velvet Underground, the Replacements or the Minutemen. They have good songs that utilize the natural strength of a 4-piece rock band, featuring a lot of guitar work and soloing. Raw, frugal, honest, understated—in fact, the main weakness in Worn Leather’s style is that the singer is somewhat emotionally muted and dull-sounding. But the more I listen to them, the more I like them. They seem like nice guys: thoughtful, trying to make something good, filled with sadness and rage and boredom and fear. Actually, Worn Leather remind me of a band I know in Worcester, MA called Gnards. They share that classic punk (with guitar solos retained) style; they are hard-working; and they’re nice guys. I imagine Worn Leather to be among this crew. Maybe they’ll throw in a little glamorous touch from time to time, but mostly what shines through is their common-man quality—simple, raw, good. I give thumbs up to these punks from New Haven, CT, as well as their people over at Reflective Tapes in Olympia, WA. The marker drawing of a rather non-descript duplex on the tape cover is oddly wonderful. Also, one final detail that enhances my enjoyment of this album is in the liner notes: “Recorded by Stefan Christ in a snow storm.” It seems that all records of substance nowadays are done with help from Christ during bad weather. Nicely done, guys.

www.wornleather.bandcamp.com 

-Kevin Oliver 

HEAVY POCKETS “Mopeless” (Reflective Tapes)

From New Hampshire we have this three piece (Shayla, Nate and Zack) Heavy Pockets with this tape offering titled “Mopeless.” Fourteen songs and they’re all blasts with amps on eleven,

but somehow it works. “Circadian Schism,” a powerful indie rocker with hints of everybody, leads off the tape and is followed by “Ex Pat” and “We” which keep things at high energy. Only the stop-start of the jingling “Lacking” hints at things letting up, but no-even that one bursts into a fury.

“Love Song,” the single, is more power pop (and the best song on the collection) than anything else heard before it and opens the door to an exhibition of more influences meaning everything from folk-rock to The Shoes and Cheap Trick.

As the tape progresses (meaning Side Two) not only does the energy tone down but it’s clear they put all the better stuff at the front end of this album. Not an unusual tactic, admittedly, but maybe a little more obvious here than with most. That said, the songs throughout are all strong and it makes for an great listen. My only complaint is that in the heavier songs, the vocals are mixed into the sound as opposed to being on top, even just a bit.

There is a bit of a buzz on this band right now. The album version was released by Dead Broke and they have garnered a fair amount of press. Might be a good time to grab up one of these homemade tapes for a measly five bucks while you still can.

www.reflectivetapes.bandcamp.com

-- Bob Zilli