New Arrivals

Picked up some new records today. First on this list, but last chronologically is the new AFI, "Crash Love." Keeping this one short and sweet, it's a flashy full cover gatefold cover, with lyrics on the inside. Despite being a gatefold, it's a single LP pressed at 180G. Controversial opinion: "Decemberunderground" > "Crash Love". But I will maintain that Medicate is better than Miss Murder (which sucks).

Earlier in the day I met up with Ian Manhire, the busy man behind Going Gaga, who also plays with amazing local acts The Sedatives and The White Wires (probably other bands I'm not aware of as well). He's probably gonna read this and wonder why these band names aren't in caps. I got two LPs off him, the first is The Sedatives new LP, which is eponymous. Despite this band being local to Ottawa, they don't keep things local. In other markets, they just played a Euro tour, which I heard was a surprisingly great success from their guitarist Emmanuel, who happens to run a great blog about Ottawa happenings. For this tour they also released a 7" on a German label, Taken By Surprise records. Go get this screened cover 7" from Vertigo like I did. I'm off track though, because I'm supposed to be talking about their LP, which was released by Deranged out of Vancouver. In my opinion, Deranged is one of the best labels to put out punk in the last 5 years or more. With a roster including Fucked Up, Brutal Knights, Career Suicide, Statues and Nitad, you know they didn't pick up Sedatives by mistake. This LP rips, but there's nothing too special about the release itself to talk about in this forum.











Secondly, is the Going Gaga comp. This is a compilation of 15 Ottawa bands, put out by a local label. If this were to get any more local they'd have to form a union or something. Anyway, this comp is no crock. Some may be dissuaded by the fact that its a local comp, especially those from other cities, probably with the logic that the bands were picked based on their geography rather than their tunes. 50 of these are in Germany now, and if that doesn't change anyone's mind, as of writing this, I'm nearing the end of side A, and like The Sedatives LP, it rules. Stand out tracks on the A side are going to the Sedatives (Quel surprise...) and the Million Dollar Marxists. Anyway, Ian and his label obviously put a lot into this. It's different from other comps because it is all new exclusive songs, recorded on the same gear by the same people, so it has great flow. Secondly, the packaging is done with a total DIY feel, but it works great. A sheet of paper glued on each side to a blank sleeve. Hand numbered out of 300; awesome. Finally, the finishing touch -- a zine where each page was done by one of the contributing bands. Best page goes to Botched Suicides. 15 copies of this are left with Ian, so get your hands on one of the last copies or else you'll have to find one at a used record store in Germany. It's listed as Volume 1 though, so maybe he'll bless us with a second next year.

Finally I wanted to point out that according to the label sleeve, 12 of the 15 bands have a "the" name. But really I think Suppositories and Fucking Machines would get a "the" as well, meaning only one band, Uranium Comeback" lacks such a moniker. A sign of the times? A Going Gage conspiracy? A coincidence?

PS - Side B is great so far too.