STILL SINGLE

A space for thoughts on music and culture, as written by Doug Mosurock and a select handful of individuals. This is intended as a supplement to our regular feature Still Single, published on Dusted Magazine. Updates will run here more frequently, and may feature writing on music not covered in the column. Compact discs are still not accepted for review -- we have more than enough vinyl and the occasional cassette to worry about.

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December 18, 2011

Goddammitboyhowdy – Is Rez Punk 7” EP/CDR (Minor Bird)

I do believe there is more shit and garbage clogging up things than ever before, and I believe this because it is statistically true. Proof? You’ll have to get in touch, ask about my claim, and I will give you proof. Then I will post our correspondence on my blog. While nowhere near the mountain that is the aforementioned “proof,” the following sentiment easily adheres to it or moves from it to my brain: It isn’t a positive reflection of our rock landscape when I immediately think “Thank God I get to give something a positive review” upon noticing an as-yet-unheard band has a sound that would plaster a grimace across the face of a former Altered Zones “writer” (arr-eye-pee, bee-tee-dbl-u). Yes, I love writing positive reviews. I love it for the challenge (it is generally harder to write positive) and because I love hearing great music coming out of what one would call THE NEW or out of the massive canyon known as “contemporary rock-based music I have yet to hear” because no one really follows the maxim that JUST BECAUSE EVERYONE CAN, DOESN’T MEAN EVERYONE SHOULD.

So before I finally get to this poorly-named band, it should be noted that immediately AFTER I have the thought quoted above, common sense kicks in to remind me that it also must be GOOD and it must issue that positive FEELING via rock-endorphins…like all good inaugural listens. So, what does GODDAMNITBOYHOWDY sound like? I hear a lot of Gaunt that flirts with Big Business on occasion…or maybe I hear blue-collar punk that flirts with the chunkiness of metal … again, on occasion. I also hear one song (“Hands Down”) that is charming in a dark way, and it also packs a HUGE hook. That alone justifies whatever the price of admission may be for those who did not have this EP sent to them in the name of promotion. One stellar song out of four? Well, here we are again with a little ratio that speaks to an immense problem with music at large, and I hope to hell that I, in no indirect way whatsoever, come off like I am encouraging bands to shoot for only one great song out of four or less. If you make music, you should be shooting for greatness each and every time you lift a finger. The other three tracks are not bad, the vocals are not annoying like they so easily could have been because this does rub up against the outer boundary of what I consider to be heavy music.

OK, I’m really late for verdict-issuing time … GODDAMNITBOYHOWDY might release a great record in the future, and I hear plenty of bands that will never do that. If your scope of input grants admission to fairly heavy pop-punk and you don’t, say, talking really loud about Sun Araw in the record store so everyone in attendance knows you are into “cool” stuff … look past moniker choice so these guys can get past the trappings of being a terminally local band. On blue vinyl and pressed in an edition of 250. Hand-numbered. (http://minorbirdrecords.blogspot.com)
(Andrew Earles)

2 months ago • 0 notes