Hits From The (Mail)Box

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Known 7" Spells To Snappy Those Little Fingers

I received two 7”s in the mail last week from Snappy Little Fingers Records. I had never heard of the Denver label before, nor the two bands that were pressed into the wax. But it wasn’t long before I was hovering over the turntable, quickfire changeover, rinse and repeat.

First off I tried out The Knew, a Rocky Mountains high. The tracks here were two sides of the soaring garage pop type – ‘What’s Hip (Long Walk)’ incorporates horns and some stand-up slamming piano into what is an almost jaunty song that you only wished the band was playing at your school graduation (then again, I kinda wish I graduated in 1955, walking out listening to Jerry Lee Lewis). The B-side ‘World War Ay Ay Ay (Alright)’ shows the same affinity with chiming buoyancy (and parenthesised side-titles) but is more upfront about it. It’s strange to hear something so crystalline in production, sound so innocent and earnest yet fun at the same time. Such a band shouldn’t function in this cynical day and age – but I'm glad they do.

Then we have SPELLS, which is a much more raucous punk junket (and more my bag). The A-side ‘Take Time’ screams of drinking blood (although the actually lyrics aren't as  decadent, I prefer my initial misheard version) – not exactly the picture of virtue. But this is still the epitome of party music – shouted choruses, rough-and-tumble straightforward rock riffs, boozy sneers and beer suds constantly thrown in the air. It’s the kind of music that you kick seven shades out of each other and have a blast. ‘Slice Away’ smashes the opposite side of the black – that immediate rawness is slightly dulled, but instead we are left with a song that smashes the place up with the likes of a redneck cousin of Pat Stickles and a sedate Rocket From The Crypt. So, more of the same, essentially.

Really happy this came into my life – can’t wait to hear what else comes out of the SLF fold. You can buy these (and other) tasty morsels here.