What could bring two trio's together of pop punk like a split single. The earliest punk I was ever exposed to was usually from a split single probably pretending I like to take chances but still I had to spend hard earned bucks on a record where at least know I'm going to like one of the bands. These two trio's, Warm Needles from Long Island and Costanza from Chicago are together like one of those fancy restaurants where the sommelier pairs wine with the duck, except in this case Tour Van Records is deciding which beer in a can is going to taste the least like shit alongside that hot dog on a stick. Who wanted to sit in that stuffy god damn restaurant anyway paying too much for crap, sounds like the music industry.
Huge production from Warm Needles on "Big Decisive Chunks" says they mean business, the lead vocals have that lower end growl style, throwing himself into it with power mid section hits to the torso from their massive distortion guitar section. Heavy drum thuds are the finishing blows to this tight sound of polished sweeping chord changes referencing punk, echos of the early stuff. An influence taken to a theatrical place using the bullshit of youth, all of it's alienation and unknown and coming out on the other side with something to show for it. A tom fill opens "Bad Vibes" and it's heavy rhythm with a more melodic distortion line before they inevitably speed up into their signature sea shanty party rock. You can 't help but get drawn into everyone singing along, They're built for the live show, not that this energy doesn't come through in the recording, it does, but you know this was meant to be heard out in a bar at night. The end of the night where you try to do everything not give in to the idea that eventually you have to sleep at some point - they're going to keep things going as long as humanly possible. I get the feeling they haven't been on tour without their share of breakdown's, infighting and raising hell at every fast food establishment and chain pancake house they come across for fun. Might have something to do with this track about living with your mistakes, the choices that you make. I can't help but hear the Hot Snakes in this, that polished power punk sound that rises over a snotty apathetic place and tries to really make something of itself.
Costanza kicks their side off with "Piggies in a Blanket" a little more raw, the two harsh guitar lines high and playing off each other in a dead ringer Replacements feel busting into a blue collar chorus. Palming chords, borrowing from hair metal wailing riffs and windmill sustain with rough lead vocals yelling all over the place. Guitar work that's just in love with an honest rock, they aren't in it for the party so much as laying into this attitude that they aren't going to make you have a good time, just do it. Muted verses so they can get a really great chorus going, their guitar line puts the meat on those heavy bones, while they scream 'SAY HEY.." the beginning of every verse. "Call me sir, goddammit!" has a single electric note line that raises tension about to blow. You can hear that on both sides, both bands have the patience to wait for the moment to really bring out all the parts of the three piece. Heavy layered guitar sound, even if that is all Miles, he's laying on the thick treble heavy screech. Taking those primal feelings of alienation and turning them into the polar opposite. More three chord changes, the stops pulled out, it's flying almost pushing this into the red, can't tell if there's a static distortion from blowing this out or the layers are just so huge. Both sides have a crazy tightness that's screams seriousness, in craft and recording.
This EP runs at 33 on black vinyl from Tour Van Records
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