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Hi Sorry State readers! Long time no see/talk! Hope everyone has had a great summer so far. Summer here in NC is brutal, but we’re managing. I’ve been listening to tons of good stuff, reading good books, and staying indoors. It’s really nice to be back after a little bit of a staff pick hiatus, but there is no shortage of things I could write about.
I was thinking of going with the Primal Screamer book by the man, the myth, and the legend, Nick Blinko, of Rudimentary Peni. But I decided to go with a record instead. We’ll get to that in a minute. But first, if you haven’t read that book yet and you are a fan of Rudimentary Peni and/or Nick Blinko’s fascinating art, I highly suggest it. It’s a semi-autobiographical account of a very complex and troubled young man (likely Nick Blinko, if we had to guess) from the point of view of his psychiatrist. The main character, Nat, undergoes primal therapy to unearth his feelings and trauma, which turns out to be quite an ordeal and obviously the direct inspiration for the book’s title. Nat goes on to form a band. Spoiler alert: Rudimentary Peni, although the band is never mentioned by name. So you gain some insight into RP’s early days. Although it’s hard to tell which parts are exaggerated, it’s probably safe to say it aligns closely with the early adulthood of Blinko.
Onto my official staff pick. It’s the new Lafff Box S/T LP, released on Neon Taste. Some of you may have gotten your hands on the EP they released last year. I really enjoyed it, so I had been looking forward to the release of their full-length album. Lafff Box is from Germany and comprised of members of Liiek, Ex-White, Poky, and Lassie, to name a few. What could go wrong? Not a thing. Their sound isn’t very easy to describe or place in a box, which is always a good thing in my opinion. They bring a little bit of this and a little bit of that and smash it all together to create a manic, in your face burst of fantastic energy. It’s fast, unhinged, and really catchy stuff. It’s fresh and modern, but with no synths in sight. The singer’s snarling, distorted vocals and dual guitars create the sound of perfect chaos. Don’t get me wrong, the album is thoughtful and sharp, with fast and clean beats. It’s also a good balance of mosh-worthy punk and more melodic tracks. The song Master is a perfect example of the latter. A mid-tempo melodic track with sharp infectious riffs and a catchy sing-along style chorus, but before you get too comfortable, the vocals turn absolutely manic. Which is totally my jam. I just love it when a good power pop track goes off the rails. The song Just a Fool seems to be a favorite, for good reason. It leans more on the power pop side and very catchy. The placement of this track in the middle of the album is smart because the sound is a bit more structured and formulaic in the middle of faster and more chaotic sounding tracks. All in all, this is a really good album and tons of fun to listen to. It’s the jolt of energy you need to get your day going. And well worth the wait. Check it out!
Thanks for reading! Until next time!
-Angela