Splurge "Tales From the Me Generation" 7 inch (Traffic Violation Records/1996)

So I have finally started to rip more of a chunk of my vinyl collection and here is a 7 inch that I have been dying to share. Splurge was a band from the Port Jefferson/Setauket area of Long Island and they were a band I was absolutely mad about when they were together. Before On the Might of Princes came along Splurge was my favorite local band. Their songs were melodic and in that fast Jawbreaker meets Crimpshrine meets Plow United pop punk. They were super catchy and the lyrics were smart. At the time it really blew my mind that kids close to my age and only a few towns over were writing lyrics like this and even more so were pressing their own records on the label that influenced me to start my own label-Traffic Violation Records. To put it simply Splurge was quintessential 90s Long Island pop punk. I still prefer their Exit/Stretch  7 inch the best but being that I hadn't seen Tales From the Me Generation anywhere online I decided to share that instead. I highly recommend you head on over to the wonderful Long Island blog Uncle Ron's Dusty Discs who has the rest of the Splurge discography (minus the split CD with Contra which I will post soon) posted. Members of Splurge went on to be in Explosivo!, The Devil Himself, The Brass, Exelar, Air Raid Barcelona,  Love Panther,etc. Check it out.

Splurge Tales From the Me Generation  track listing
1. 49 Cent Refill
2. Spit Spot
3. Zero Outta Ten
4. Comet Girl

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Latterman "Tour Demo" cd-r (self released/2001)

For the Latterman completists out there here is rare little piece of the band's history. I know guitarist Phil Douglas  dreads knowing that I have this cd in my possession still. Every now and then to get a reaction out of him I'll pull it off my shelf. I think it has something to do with it being one of his earliest recording efforts. It definitely doesn't sound bad at all and it in terms of recording and song writing quality it is leaps and bounds over the band's previous offerings. What more could I possibly say about Latterman that hasn't already been said here or anywhere else for that matter? For those that really need more info, to put things as simply as possible next to On the Might of Princes-Latterman was one of the main reasons that the DIY scene on Long Island thrived so much in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It could certainly be argued that Latterman was met with even greater "success" with their later albums on Deep Elm.

This demo was put together for a US tour in 2001 and it served as a preview of what becoming on their first full length Turn Up the Punk We'll Be Singing as the four songs presented here were all re-recorded for the album which would be released later that year. As a tour demo it certainly does its job in documenting Latterman at that point in time and sharing that folks they encountered on tour.

Latterman "Tour Demo!" track listing
1. Rebellion Vs The Alarm Clock
2. There's No Wrong Way to Do Punk (You Clown Doctor)
3. King Tough is My New Idol
4. For Someone Easy Going You Sure Do Seem to Wear Pants A lot


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Latterman "None of These Songs Are About Girls" cd-r (self released/2000)

Today's post will be a quickie due to being a bit short on time but also because I also recently profiled Latterman when I uploaded their demo which hopefully everyone has enjoyed. Oddly enough even though this self released ep came out after the demo only one of the five tracks here were later re-recorded, unlike the songs on the demo, which I suppose makes the tunes here a bit more of a rarity. I'd wager that most Latterman fans never even heard of this ep much less the songs on it.

None of These Songs Are About Girls starts off with the song "There's Never a Reason Not to Party" which to me is "the" Latterman song. It was later re-recorded for their first full length album, Turn Up the Punk We'll Be Singing but I think I prefer the version presented here. I generally don't like re-recorded versions of songs, as there is usually a spark missing that made the original version great. The other tunes on this ep are pretty solid as well, with "Matt Galante's Got It Right" and "Saving Private B" being the stand outs aside from the opening track. "Matt Galante's Got It Right" was also released on volume 2 of the Waggy Fanzine comp CD which if you are looking for physical copies of these tunes will be easier to track down than a copy of None of These Songs Are Bout Girls. I am not sure how many were made but I'd wager no more than 100 and maybe that is even a stretch. Latterman fans fear not I have a few more pretty rare barely known releases that I will be uploading soon.

Latterman None of These Songs Are About Girls track listing
1. "There's Never a Reason Not to Party"
2. "We're Not Having This Argument"
3. "So, It Was a Drag huh?"
4. "Matt Galante's Got It Right"
5. "Saving Private B"


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Wildebeest "Motion and Language" (self released/2005)

Let me start off this entry by publicly apologizing (even many years after the fact- just over 6 to be exact) for originally lumping Matthew Winn's pre-Wildebeest release in with the unfortunate (and certainly not forgotten by this guy) folk punk movement of the early 2000s when I reviewed it in a issue of Under the Volcano. I was certainly wrong in making that comparison, and the debut from Wildebeest Motion and Language is what squashed any ill conceived notions of the type of music the talented Winn was creating. I can attempt at trying to conjure up my own words to describe what Motion and Language is about and while I will first I'd like to offer a snapshot of Winn's own words as the following text was pasted on the sleeve when you opened up the cd case:

"This is the story of nine months living in Spain, and of the frustration and isolation that comes with the building of relationships with people and places you recognize you'll never be able to fully embrace. This is the story of entrances, transition, languages and exits."

I believe this words beautifully set the stage for a work that is not only very personal in nature but a work that is realized. As a music fan and musician myself that is the thing that really blew me away about Motion and Language, because punk is generally about writing a batch of songs and sticking them together. There is never a sense that there is direct correlation between the words and sounds, how they mesh together is just a matter of throwing it to the wind and seeing where it crashes-which don't get me wrong this is why punk is great but to see someone who had been in local punks bands come forth with a work of such purpose and cohesion was just something that impressed me. Wildebeest's Motion and Language has only gotten better to my ears over the years as the depth of the work- influence, ideas and musicianship is vast. There is also an element of quirky, youthful exuberance present that makes even a realized work not take itself too seriously. At first listen to almost shaky, raspy vocals can be off putting (and maybe that is why I viewed the earlier work as folk punk) but that is soon washed away as their is a undeniable, endearing passion about the delivery. You don't come across works as strong as Motion and Language all that often and to be blunt-this album is an absolute masterpiece in regards to Long Island music of that time period (early to mid 2000s).

I would classify Wildebeest as cross between folk and indie rock but with definitely a DIY punk ethos about it. There are even lyrical references to Jawbreaker and Capn' Jazz. The bulk of Wildebeest's songs are based on acoustic guitar and voice but a strong cast of accompaniment via bass, keyboard, percussion/drums, accordion and clarinet is also present. The lyrics are very well anchored into the them of the album and in some cases, specifically on tunes like "Harps and Trumpets", "Living and Dying" and "Phil Writes Songs Like Kevin Seconds" excels at offering vibrant imagery yet allows the words to resonate on a individual level. I got to know Winn personally for period of time and I was able to express my admiration for his work (as well as apologize for past misconceptions) and just like many things-one minute people's paths cross and the next they don't. Sometime after Motion and Language, I believe Winn relocated to Athens, GA and then to Brooklyn. I heard snippets of his newer material and it really evolved in strong way, opting for a very authentic roots folk and blues flavor. I'd actually like to hear the full completed works (if anyone has feel free to share) and from what I understand the Wildebeest moniker has been abandoned and Winn has a new project called The Fish. Check it out here


Wildebeest Motion and Language track listing:
1. "Wisdom Tooth"
2. "Burggos Moon"
3. "Fighting Windmills Again"
4. "Harps and Trumpets"
5. "Intermission"
6. "Vegas Song"
7. "Return to the Fort (Fight Song)"
8. "Cat and Mouse"
9. "Living and Dying"
10. "Phil Writes Songs Like Kevin Seconds"

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Latterman "Demo" cassette (Ruckus Records/1999)

I'll be totally up front, aside from a few select bands I have never had much love for the pop punk genre. Personally, I feel so many bands focus on trying to be punk that they forget the pop part which for me means that your songs catchy and if you don't have the pop part I have a had hard time finding a lasting appeal or even short term for that matter. I love pop song sensibilities and the idea of getting a song stuck in one's head. One of the select few bands that make the grade for me in this genre are Latterman. Born from the ashes of the somewhat similar band Five Days Late whom I saw a few times and came to become very friendly with their guitarist Phil Douglas and bassist Matt Canino. I included them in a few shows that I was booking. One show in particular was for the cd release show for Exlposivo's The Uh Oh EP and as I was finishing the flyer I got a call from Phil saying that "Five Days Late was no more and that their new band Latterman was going to play". Cool. They made their way to the Shoreham Wading River Library to play the show and with goofing around and talking to each other as if there was no one in the room (actually the exact opposite!) by the time 15 minutes rolled around and before their fourth song the announced it would be their last one. Jokingly, I gave them hell and honestly this was one of the things while they may not look fondly upon I just loved. Those early Latterman shows felt like an inside joke but not in some elitist way, just friends having a good time. Heck, even by the time the band had a demo, ep, 7 inch and material which made up their first full length Turn Up the Punk We'll Be Singing, Latterman sets were like 4 or 5 songs at most. I once saw a 3 song Latterman and not because they were pressed for time. I swear after the second song when Phil announced they were only going to play one more I think I was the only person in the audience who realized he wasn't bullshitting. That was funny. And there was the show at the Hardware store where it was packed (sardine can packed) and it took M.R like 15 minutes of trying to tune his guitar by ear. Classic...

But shenanigans aside, Latterman also wrote great songs that also had great messages. And perhaps why I mention all the tom foolery is that while someone just casually listening to the band and learning they had a message could easily discredit them for being a band that was "preachy" or "too serious". Fact is Latterman was none of those things. Personally, I think it was awesome that there was a band that was singing about topics of real substance, and to put things in perspective Latterman was bringing forth their songs with messages of self belief, hope, positive thinking, embracing friends, and not letting life get you down all on the heels of American independent rock culture still clinging to some of the angst and self depreciation of the 90s. Yeah, there was certainly a level of idealism but it was a pleasant surprise and to quote Uncle Buck "I don't want to know a kid who isn't a dreamer". Also, it was just awesome seeing so many kids being drawn to this band and those messages. Furthermore, I don't think it can be undermined in how Latterman and just the presence they created at shows was very inclusive. It was the first time I saw a Long Island band actually take a pro active stance in regards to sexism in the scene and not just pay token lip service-they helped create a new environment at shows on Long Island and I have to say not only was it exciting and welcome but God damn it was long overdue.

So about this demo...The 4 songs captured here (some of which were recorded for later releases) showcase the band in its earliest incarnation not only lineup wise but in terms of sound which has some roughness on the edges but the inspiration, exuberance and sincerity as well elements of what the band what later become known for certainly shine through. Though, Latterman's second album No Matter Where We Go is firmly cemented as my favorite release from their discography, there certainly will always be a place in my heart for their early material.

I will certainly recommend that everyone if you haven't done so already check out some of the post Latterman projects like Iron Chic and Rvivr who are both incredible.


Latterman "Demo" track listing
1. King Tough is My New Idol
2. Too Many Emo Days
3. Seriously Guys We Can Rule the World if We Tried
4. An Ode to Jon Contra


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