Bunny Skulls - (2009) 18 Songs EP 7''

Distored, raw hardcore in short, sharp installments. It's not all blinding thrash either. "Daily War" actually has something of a melody. Pretty tongue-in-cheek and particularly contemptuous of crusties, suicide punx, youth crew-ers and people who wear Hooters shirts. What's funny is this sounds like it was recorded on a boombox or four-track but it was actually recorded by Steve Albini at his studio. And he does a great job of making it sound like a boombox recording.

Couch - (1994) This Lifes E.P. 7''

Couch

Crayon - (1992) Moominland 7''

Crayon formed in 1990 in Bellingham, Washington, which is about 60 miles north of Seattle. A bit more punk than twee, Crayon were obviously influenced by bands like Beat Happening and The Modern Lovers. Their sound was a cross between the Seattle based grunge and twee. Many considered their unique style, combining heavily distorted guitar with strong indiepop elements to be the missing link between UK twee bands like The Pastels and American indie bands like Tsunami and the more abrasive Unwound. Some dubbed this new style of music “love rock," while others referred to it as “cuddlecore” due to the coy nature of their songs.

Dads - (2010) Hat Creek 7''

The Stupid of the Month award goes to Dads, a Tampa band that seems to put the same amount of time into their crude drawings as they do their music (which is to say, not very much). “Hat Creek” is a pretty standard indie-rocker, at least until the ridiculous Terry Schiavo vocals come in, barely awake and drooling. I’ll admit, I’m pretty amused to think that a handful of people signed off on that decision. Dads quickly wake up though, as “Banana Twinz” thrashes about violently for a minute or so, and “Sex Theft” does the same, almost reaching Lightning Bolt temperatures (and the highlight of this EP). The flip is “Dub Creek”, ostensibly a dub version of “Hat Creek”, and it manages to offend the roots of dub reggae to their very core, essentially destroying decades of peaceful Jamaican / American relations with crappo keyboards and piss-take delivery. It comes with an insert, wherein “lyrics” is misspelled “lericks” on purpose, and the rest of the artwork features various E.T.-faced people showing off their genitalia and wearing wigs.

Dwight Twilley Band ‎- (2013) Shark 7''

Dwight Twilley is an American power pop icon from the pre-Ramones/Cheap Trick era that slipped though the cracks due to bad management decisions and the entanglements of the major label record business, that despite his debut single "I'm On Fire" hitting the top 20 on the Billboard charts in 1975, he's still unfortunately not a household name. Some called him the American T. Rex and others the missing link between Big Star and Tom Petty, but any way you cut it, Tulsa, OK's pop hero has risen he's and ready to knock you back to high school. He's appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand several times as well as the esteemed Don Kirschner's Rock Concert TV series the SAME NIGHT as the infamous Sex Pistols episode in 1977, therefore it never aired. This anxiously awaited 2nd single was shelved in the summer of 1975 due to close proximity to the super popular JAWS film, of which the management sadly decided it would be 'too cliche,' so we have rescued the track along with a scorching B-side from the CD-only 'Great Lost Twilley Album,' procuring two incredible hits never before available on vinyl. Pure pop perfection from the ealry 70s powerpop era that will light up your life and cap off your summer in the best way possible.

Half Empty - (1996) Welcome Home 7''

Bay area punk band from 90's with male and female vocals, sometimes political lyrics. Reminds me of Surrender, Naked Aggression, Citizen Fish, & all kinds of other bands. 'Welcome Home' pulls a guitar riff that is driving me crazy not being able to place right now.

Hydroplane - (1998) When I Was Howard Hughes 7''

A-side's very much like the Wurlitzer Jukebox single, a placid love song, the other side's a sad yet hopeful song about the end of an affair. Not quite as pure and stark as Low, but the same sort of sound.

Riverrun Singles Reviews
It used to be clear that Hydroplane was the dreamy, semi-ambient alter-ego of the Cat's Miaow, but the Cat's Miaow's The Long Goodbye/Bliss Out EP, which consists of gauzy and ethereal reworkings of a handful of their pop songs, messed up that sharp distinction. The complement would be Hydroplane doing jangly pop, but for this single of covers (the Shapiros' "When I Was Howard Hughes" and the Creation's "If You Spoke to Me, I Wouldn't Know What to Say") they stick to the old formula, bathing Cat's Miaow singer Kerrie Bolton's breathy vocals in sourceless reverberation and murmurs of unidentified noise. Excellent music to sleep to, provided that you don't mind getting up to flip the record every four minutes