Mind Spiders
Inhumanistic
Dirtnap (2013)
Maybe Minnesota is just a long way from Texas, but it seems that Mind Spiders are more of a studio band, releasing a record a year but only hitting my town once in the past three. Or maybe it’s just the 1000 miles in between. That’s really neither here nor there, though, as far as talking about the sound delivered … Read more
Mind Spiders
Meltdown
Dirtnap (2012)
Mark Ryan may not tour all that often, but you can’t fault the man’s productivity. Meltdown marks the second release from solo project Mind Spiders in a year, although the “solo” seems to be a stretch on this release. The first time around, Mind Spiders was Ryan’s project. He wrote the songs, he sang them, and he played almost all … Read more
Mind Spiders
Prosthesis
Dirtnap (2016)
Mind Spiders continues to be a very accurate name as the sound evolves.The one-time “solo” Mark Ryan project was to be his creative space for worlds outside of the garage-punk perfection of bands like The Marked Men. It began sounding a little like The Marked Men + keyboards and, oh, how it’s grown.Today Mind Spiders are a band, albeit still … Read more
Mind Spiders
Self Titled LP
Dirtnap (2011)
The Marked Men were the best band you’ve never heard. Well, one of them anyway. The beloved-by-some, under-the-radar-of-most band from Denton, TX may have taken the dreaded “hiatus” last year, but the members didn’t go into hiding. Instead, guitarist Mark Ryan returns with a solo project under the moniker Mind Spiders. On the eponymous debut Ryan plays the majority of … Read more
More Kicks
Punch Drunk
Dirtnap (2022)
I was thrown the first time I listened to this. I came in blind, expecting “the Dirtnap sound.” But what matters isn’t the brand, it’s if the music is good, so it’s a silly bias to begin with. It also took me a few listens before I realized that the files I was sent weren’t tagged right, so I was … Read more
Personality Cult
New Arrows
Dirtnap (2020)
I like to find new bands. One of the challenges as I get older is exactly that. I listen to a lot of music, but a lot of it follows a certain artistic lineage. I want to keep up with what old favorites are doing, but with new groups too. There are always a few labels I can count on … Read more
Proud Parents
Proud Parents
Dirtnap (2018)
With three singers among the four familiar faces of Proud Parents, isn’t no surprise that the record succeeds on the band members’ ability to meet in the middle between different tones and styles. While the vocals due shift frequently on this self-titled debut, the music itself falls consistently in the jangly power-pop world. Members of the group also play with … Read more
Radioactivity
Radioactivity
Dirtnap (2013)
Each time I write the phrase “garage-punk” I like it less and less. Still, how else to describe a band that blends pop-punk and garage so well? Actually, in recent reviews I’ve taken to simply comparing bands to the Marked Men, which takes us directly to Radioactivity.Radioactivity is Jeff Burke and Mark Ryan, half of Marked Men, joined by Gregory Rutherford … Read more
Radioactivity
Silent Kill
Dirtnap (2015)
These guys know how to start off a record, with the rapid fire “Battered” pummeling with riffage for the first minute and then Jeff Burke’s familiar vocals chime in and the record transitions to melodic and punky pop songs—and not the kind of pop that’s usually attached to that word. While a minute isn’t a long time for an instrumental … Read more
Scrunchies
Feral Coast
Dirtnap (2022)
I'm new to writing actual reviews of records. Don't get me wrong, I have opinions and I share them openly with everyone, even if they don't want to listen. Until this record, I really couldn't find much out there worth reviewing. The name of the band caught me. The fact that they have a record coming out on Dirtnap Records … Read more
Something Fierce
Don't Be So Cruel
Dirtnap (2011)
Chalk up another one for the misleading band name file—Something Fierce makes me think violent and brutal, which definitely isn’t what this Houston group is after. The walking bassline and jangly guitars of the opening track on Don’t Be So Cruel establish a mood of calculated cool that relies on bounce and rhythm instead of aggression. To borrow from the … Read more
Steve Adamyk Band
Dial Tone
Dirtnap (2014)
This is Dirtnap Records.Not to pigeonhole anybody, but man does Steve Adamyk Band hit on that pop structure, garage chaos element that defines the label.Dial Tone is the fourth full-length out of Canada’s Steve Adamyk Band and I reviewed Third a while back. This time around, the band continues their well-crafted, energetic and generally positive vibes in the same fashion. … Read more
Steve Adamyk Band
Third
Dirtnap (2013)
Sometimes calling something the “[insert record label]” sound is meant in a derisive way. Before the clichés came home, however, it was also used to complement a label’s stable for having some unique defining qualities. That’s where Steve Adamyk Band fits with their Dirtnap Records home. The general style that SAB plays can be summed up in a few distinct … Read more
The Ergs!
The Time And The Season EP
Dirtnap (2022)
If you’ve been waiting years to hear Mikey Erg ask, “Who’s your daddy,” well, you’re in luck. The band is back with their first new material since 2016 – having only released a 2016 EP since their initial 2008 breakup. This time it’s a four song EP titled Time and the Season, named after their cover of The Zombies’ hit of the … Read more
The Ergs!
Upstairs/Downstairs
Dirtnap (2007)
The Ergs are self-proclaimed dorks. The great thing is that they are dorks that can write some great hooks. Upstairs/Downstairs is simply The Ergs latest example to demonstrate their ability to write infectious songs about girls and other pop-punk staple subjects. Upstairs/Downstairs delivers where their debut full length, dorkrockcockrod, set the stage for and where last year's EP, Jersey's Best … Read more
The Estranged
Static Thoughts
Dirtnap (2008)
With Static Thoughts, The Estranged attempt to combine the volatile combination of post-punk and punk with positive results on the whole. The album could have been a disaster on the scale of the Hindenburg, but instead is a balanced combination of contemporary post-punk songs that rely on traditional punk rock's finer cornerstones - two to three minute numbers that are … Read more
The Hussy
Looming
Dirtnap (2019)
It’s been fun watching The Hussy grow. All those scuzzy, dirty licks and rough-and-tumble beats of their early work is still present, but on Looming the now-trio lets the once understated melodies take the lead. It’s driving rock with some notable grooves, but it’s also singalong with shades of ‘60s garage, psychedelia, and even hints of pop.Looming contains 16 songs in total, alternating … Read more
The Sleeveens
The Sleeveens
Dirtnap (2024)
You know how most records start out with an absolute banger? It sets a mood, for sure, but it often feels like the band doesn’t top it as the full album plays out. I’m definitely not saying that The Sleeveens deliver a dud with the first song here, “Give My Regards To The Dancing Girls,” but I am saying that … Read more
