Victory & Associates - Kickstarter funded album

If you remember Victory and Associates, you'll remember this review of their previous release on Seismic Wave Records...looks like they're after a full length release of their high energy party....they think you're probably ready....but do you want it on vinyl? Can you handle putting the needle on the record of this meltdown fireshow?
V&A are letting the listeners decide.
I think every band should be using Kickstarter to have the option for a vinyl release that might not otherwise happen. If they think they can't put up the massive funds for an all out gatefold, 180 gram release, then make sure the people that want it can collectively put up the money. It makes perfect sense.
I don't know how kickstarter is making money though...maybe they take a percentage if something is successfully funded?
You could have a label like Hozac put up next years subscription club like this...or a label that's never done it before. It's like an advance sale, but there's a third party to hold responsible and not just take your subscription money and run. You know who you are picture disc series...and album leaf label.


Go kickstart this full length, they have 9 days left. Don't bitch later when you can't get this on vinyl.

Victory and Associates - Hurry up Shotgun - self released split lathe

The fine people at single piece slate have struck again, making vinyl records happen lovingly handcrafted in their shop, I imagine like a fine piece of New England furniture, or like a 7" Amish collective, working only in the traditional ways of records, ignoring all technological advances...this time they've cut a split featuring Victory and Associates and Hurry up Shotgun who were nice enough to send 7Inches one of these clear, thick slabs of vinyl.

"Turn Down the Guitars" is the title of the rack from V&A and I know what you're thinking, "But that goes against everything these guys stand for!", and you'd be right, turns out this is a protest song against the sound guy at every venue telling them to turn down the most important element in their arsenal. Hilarious lyrically

he's not horsing around / its a constant standoff / that's the reason this song features the bass / no reverb is needed

but then they composed the track to take it one step further, punching in bursts of guitars over mostly bassline, finishing with some over the top Eddie Van Halen soloing.
What I can appreciate about these guys beyond the punchy power chords, and frontman Conan Neutron's (name, perfect) attitude, is that they're going for broke every time, like Hot Snakes, that massive post-punk energy - the all out party time rock, loud as hell...obviously that's why they run into trouble with the man trying to bring them down! At the risk of alienating future venues they want you to know they want to rock god dammit! Any band would appreciate this, and should be covered on personal mix tapes and passed around back stage at Bannaroo.

The Hurry Up, Shotgun track "Paths" is dishing out an aural beating of funk-punk, a mix of complex repeated guitar melodies, that progressive bassline and interlockign percussion all off on it's own...which right away takes me back to the days when I still respected Red Hot Chili Peppers and their combination of styles I hadn't ever come across before. Borrowing across genre's, taking their own idiosyncratic parts from everything. I guess you could even go further back with combination's that Fishbone or Bad Brains pioneered. The energy is similar, and you can hear the decades of rock that came before it in the changes. They don't ever let up with this completely bizarre core rhythm and frantic, almost metal vibrato vocals. It all comes down into a slow melodic power drone to take the track out on the metal side of things. These two have played together on local bills and this split single brings both of their comparably intense performance styles in friendly competition with each other.

Victory and Associates on Seismic Wave Entertainment

The guys from Victory and Associates sent their latest heavyweight gold single on Seismic Wave Entertainment. I love these heavy, thick singles and thick cardstock sleeves. It's actually printed with a gold ink, not the orangey yellow pictured above, something about this gold and red looks like some kind of ska sleeve or '50s smooth jazz...it looks like a casino. Maybe it's just me.
What's actually going on is crystal clear power pop punk. Catchy power chords and yelling choruses, about...what else? The party. Rocking out, throwing themselves into the riffs and harmonies, everyone's doing their part. Part Les Savy Fav and part Hot Snakes, it's scientifically proven punk rhythm and power chords, all at out of control speed.

The A-Side,"Party Savior". If there was any question in what direction they're taking, then this is their answer. There's a mythical character called the party savior who is going to turn this whole thing around, be prepared. It might just be Victory and Associates. It might be you...after hearing them. It all comes down to Conan's vocals, it almost seems like he hardly needs instrumentation. In those moments where they break that frantic melody to keep the track shooting forward with just their harmonized voices and a kick drum, for that fake break, for a chance to kick it all off again. Did you forget how loud it is? They aren't letting you off that easy. Their going to keep rocking you.

In "Thousandaire", Conan sets the tone again just vocally, kicking the track off to great back and forth separated guitar riffs that explode together bringing, once again, their massive sound. There's hardly a moment they pause vocally, if there aren't multiple harmonies at any given time then someone is calling back in between Conan's verse. It feels like they literally throw everything they can at the track, there's no room for a guitar solo. You want to like a band that's actually inviting you in to go along for the ride as opposed to being left out, fighting to understand what's going on. I can't help but picture this live and an audience being on board immediately. Prepare to win.

I could continue thinking about how to describe the energy on both sides of the single, but none of this is ever going to make a difference if you caught them live, they have to be converting fans everywhere.

Get this one from Seismic Wave Entertainment.