7Inches - Singles awards of 2010 extravaganza - PT 1

Worst B-Side remix 2010.

This one pretty much kicked this whole list off the beginning of last year sometime.
Remixes have always pissed me off, especially when they waste the B-Side of a 7 inch, they are predictable and always boring, and nothing made less sense for a remix then the stripped down messy garage of the Coathangers. A real bummer of a single from Suicide Squeeze.


This one I knew early would make the list too....from the Mammoth Cave Recording Co.
Winner of best insert 2010 is from their Bloodstains across Alberta single. At the same time hilarious and personal, it tied the whole Alberta theme together explaining the references and the ache's and pains of recording all these maniacs...hands down wins the best Canadian single category as well..nice work, there's something for everyone on this diverse 10 way split, that reminds me, this one won for most tracks on a single as well. That's three gold singles coming your way...a new record.


Winner of best xmas themed single is the angelicly vocaled, Shannon and the Clams on 1,2,3,4 Go. They aren't ruining Christmas at all....You know, I haven't actually heard this, but I'm into the couple of singles they've put out so far, capturing that garage nostalgia, wrapping it in pop punk and giving it to you in new ways...and Shannons voice is ridiculous. This better have been under the tree or Santa hates you.
I honestly think I haven't ordered this yet is because they tell you how many copies are left....so I keep putting it off.

Jack White won in two categories this year:

Most expensive single.... by a longshot was this Dead Weather test pressing that went for $3200 from a live show at the 3rd man store...photo booth pics, handpainted sleeve, signed by all members. This is all Jack White, creating an entire blackmarket for records, controvertially putting 3rd man stuff directly on ebay and all with a not great band...impressive.

He also winds hands down the coveted 7inch prize for format innovation, with the Triple Decker Record®, and the hair record:

Finally for PT1.....Best single not actually reviewed on 7Inches:
Home Blitz - 'Perpetual Night'.
Any label want to step up and give this guy another single? I tracked down the full length, and he just gets better and better. The Northeast answer to Seth's Useless Eaters. Fucking great raw garage no-fi whatever....none of those labels matter, it's great, frantic, the 4-track's on fire songs...this B-Side Searchers cover 'Murder in my Heart' is game changing. The art doesn't need to shock you because the music on that single is better than anything all year.

More tomorrow from snowed in 7Inches.

That's the best xmas gift of all.

Home Blitz 'Perpetual Night' on Almost Ready Records

It's pure coincidence that this release also happens to be on Almost Ready Records, home of the World's Lousy comps, but I've been hearing about Home Blitz's full length being amazing from Terminal Boredom. I couldn't actually find this single for sale on their blog...might be sold out at the source, or it's just going to be at one of his 3 shows in NYC soon.
After hearing the A-Side, Perpetual Night on his myspace, I am definitely going to pick this up.

I got a single of his a few years back 'live outside' and I remember reading in the liner notes it was recorded live on the side of the road in some park in NJ, and that basically sold me. Anyone who had the conviction enough to drag a drum kit, amps and guitars and a 4 track to perform a live show in the middle of nowhere sounded bad ass to me. The tracks inside were just what I wanted...raw, barely held together little pop gems, pretty much Jonathan Richman style, one take...literally the thing that has been going on since the dawn of garage rock bands. But God damn if this hasn't evolved into some kind of jumpier, more effected Jeff Novak, all with an early stones blues rock...there's even I think a touch of that piano...awesome. Completely catchy, bare bones, the melody is perfect. Can't wait to hear the B-Side of this one.

He's playing all over NY the next few months hopefully he'll have copies of his full length June 18th at the Cakeshop.
You can contact Daniel directly at ddimaggi(at)gmail.com he mentioned he has some copies on his myspace or get it from Fusetron who says:

*Artist: HOME BLITZ
Title: Perpetual Night
Format: 7"
Label: Almost Ready
Country: USA
Price: $6.00
"Perhaps Daniels most accomplished recordings to date. Mastered loud and clear by John Golden. Full color / heavy weight pocket sleeves. If you buy one modern single this year...this be it!" - Almost Ready.

Nothing people - In the city

It sounds like Nothing People are coming from a historic rock and roll garage aesthetic. I'm hearing a little psyche and old old Jesus and Mary Chain, without the insane cavernous reverb. It sounds like people always mention sci-fi when talking about them, but I'm missing that. If sci-fi has to do with talky reverb vocals and 50's hot rod surf guitar, then Ok I agree.
I really liked this track 'Should've known' on their myspace. They have this great really dirty loud guitar which at first sounded like Neil Young on the Dead Man soundtrack which was just him in a room with this amazing distorted slow torturous guitar sound. But it goes from that into a single note layered, like something almost shellac-ish, and breaks the silence to ROCK.

This one is a really successful combination of the source material updated with their own sound.
Sometimes they sound a little like a 70's soundtrack for a bad biker movie, all echo vocals and tube amps. I could see them playing with wooden shjips, they are related. There's also a kind of slowed down surf rock sound here as well, like Deadbolt they have similar sinister echo vocals.
Like the Cramps...or Richard Hell and the Voidoids, something like that.

You can order directly from them on their myspace blog. They have a 2 song 7 ", and a comp 7" with home blitz and some others....

Nothing People – In the City 7" (S-S) $4
Did you like the Nothing People's debut 7"? Well, this one is even better. Here the pre-punk, psych-punk, glam, & new wave influences collide like atoms in a god damn atom smasher and man is this a great record. The original – In the City – is one smooth sci fi punk rock groover which sounds like it could have been done in 1976 or yesterday. The flip is an excellent cover of a 70's glam gem, done with enough Nothing Peopleism that you won't think about the original.
On clear vinyl.

Home blitz

The other single I ended up getting from these guys was the 'live outside' 45, and I haven't heard anything better along those lines, let alone a live single. It's just what you think it would be, rocking out in the park, I think you can hear background noises. That's such a great idea, I liked the DIY, low-fi aspect to HomeBlitz and the recording. Of course there is some great songwriting here, but those kinds of things are the acts of determination, I have to take this shit seriously, they rocked the park and recorded it.
Here's a great interview with Daniel Dimaggio of Home Blitz. This clinched it for me, the stories of rehearsals at peoples houses, dad's breaking the band up, it's a 'nam flashback.
Here's a review from Agony Shorthand.
Word is they have a new bassisst and have played a couple times in williamsburg that I missed. That was obviously stupid.
Get this seven inch here..