Skip to content
Hi Sorry State friends! Happy holidays to all of you who celebrate and have a good day to everyone else! I always stay at home for the holidays, but for the last several years I have gone up to Ohio for about a week and come back a couple days before Christmas, and this year I didn’t. It feels like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. Usually I stress out about it the couple weeks leading up to the trip and then I get cranky a couple of days before I leave, and this year I feel free. I will really miss seeing some of my family, though. But so glad to not be in an airport or on a plane. If I could press a button and land there, I would do that for sure. Where I live is about 8.5 hours and the route is kind of the worst. And for someone who suffers from car sickness, the thought of making that drive makes me feel nauseous. Anyway, I will have a low key Christmas and holiday season just the way I want! Hopefully reading the newsletter today will help you mentally escape from your family for a little bit (only if you want to, of course). Let’s get into it!
I’ve always liked the Lemonheads, but I guess my opinion is only based on their two early 90s albums, which doesn’t cover the full spectrum of their sound. They don’t evoke super strong feelings of love, but the sound of Evan Dando’s voice is so nostalgic. He just has that voice. That quintessential 90s alternative college rock voice. I think he’s a great songwriter. That said, a lot of the Lemonheads discography is uncharted territory for me. Like this EP right here! Their very first EP, Laughing All the Way to the Cleaners, released independently in 1986.
The EP gained some underground popularity and caught the attention of an independent label, Taang! Records, who would scoop them up shortly after. They released a compilation of hits in 2012 also called Laughing All the Way to the Cleaners. I found it interesting and strange that they used the same album name, but they didn’t include any of these EP songs on the compilation. And by “any,” I just mean the first song on the EP, which 1 million percent should have been on the 2012 comp. More on that below.
Before the Lemonheads entered the alternative rock universe, where they would stay for a million years and with a million lineup changes, they were just a few young Boston punks. In fact, they were still in high school when they recorded this EP. It’s just under five minutes long and it’s good. Especially given they made it in high school. It’s clearly influenced by the Descendants. Side note, they would go on to recruit a member of the Descendants as their bassist.
The first track, Glad I Don’t Know, is the outlier of the bunch, in a really good way. It sounds like Bad Religion meets Screaming Trees. And when I say Screaming Trees, I’m really only talking about the Nearly Lost You song. And when I say Bad Religion, I am specifically referring to the vocals and cadence. I’ve definitely heard this song before. In my opinion, this song is a poppy, alterna-punk gem that showcases Evan Dando’s songwriting ability. You can definitely hear the Evan Dando-ness in his voice, which is more obscured in the next few tracks. It’s this track that gives you some insight into how easily they could transition to the indie/alt-rock scene of the 90s.
The other three tracks are a departure from the style of the first track, but they are all catchy and enjoyable songs. They sound influenced by the Descendents’ Milo Goes to College album. I’ve also heard people say the Replacements. It was rather common in the late 80s for bands to abandon their punk roots, smooth out their rougher edges and transition to a radio-friendly, more money-making, alternative band. Honestly, Evan Dando was better suited for that style, because like I said, he just has that voice.
The Lemonheads, or maybe I should just say Evan Dando, as he is the only original member, have had an interesting career. They’ve amassed just enough fame to secure an audience if they tour, but their set list must be absolutely dominated by the early 90s hits and fan favorites to make the audience happy. Every old band has to play some of their classics, but a lot of bands from that era still make albums that people are excited to hear. Given that I only know It’s a Shame About Ray and Come on Feel the Lemonheads, it was really cool to hear this EP and their first full length (Hate Your Friends, 1987) and become more familiar with their origin.
Anyway, check it out. It was put out by Taang! Records and on orange vinyl. We only have a few left. And I truly mean only a few. And that’s a wrap for me! Thank you so much for reading. It’s been a really fun year here at Sorry State Records, and it flew by so fast. Again, happy holidays! Have fun and be safe! Until next year!
Thanks,
Angela