MP3: The Bones - Mighty touchdown

The Bones are the kind of band I would've loved as a teenager, but find harder to get excited about as I near 30. I still love a lot of the pop-punk from my youth, but I'm not exactly clamoring for more, y'know? Still, The Bones are good at what they do and far more enjoyable than most of their Warped Tour-ready brethren. Part of that is personal nostalgia as their sound definitely harkens back to 90s-era SoCal punk ala NoFX or maybe The Vandals and Guttermouth. They don't indulge so much in the typical fast Fat Wreck-style skatepunk beats, but they've got the same smooth, super-tight sound, ripe with unexpectedly dense vocal harmonies and the same sort of self-depreciating juvenile humor. Like I said, not necessarily my thing, but I can still appreciate it. There's certainly enough strong powerpop hooks to make it work and I dig the dual vocalists. For contrast, consider fellow Swedes Smalltown, a contemporary melodic pop-punk band I like a lot. They both come from the same place, 'cept that Smalltown takes a rougher, more heartfelt approach that wins me over. The roughness of The Bones comes from more of a superficial, Social Distortion-esque place; you know the type: black leather jacket, heavy drinker, down on his luck, probably has the number 13 tattooed somewhere. I can't help but that of that stuff as some sort of glamrock pose. So yeah, definitely not my scene, but good enough for a few listens.

The Bones - Mighty touchdown

Smalltown will enter the studio tomorrow to begin recording their 2nd full-length album. Canadian label Deranged Records will be releasing it in North America and Combat Rock Industry out of Finland will handle things for Europe. Expect a spring release.

Swedish melodic punk act Smalltown has finished up the songwriting process for their next album and hopes to get it recorded for a release in the spring.

Friday's Sirius Blog Radio playlist:

01. The Alpine - Mondays look the same
02. TALK 1
03. Gravy - Back with the nerds
04. Giant Robot - Best match
05. Jomi Massage - A detail
06. TALK 2
07. Broder Daniel - Shoreline
08. The Grand Opening - Don't drop off
09. Moonbabies - Take me to the ballroom
10. Britta Persson - Oh how wrong
11. TALK 3
12. Lemonator - Would you die for me?
13. Trapdoor Fucking Exit - Short ends
14. Billie the Vision and the Dancers - Overdosing with you
15. TALK 4
16. Folie - Rocin
17. Robyn - Handle me
18. Laakso - Norrköping
19. TALK 5
20. Magnet - I walk the line
21. Isolation Years - Albino child
22. KVLR - Construction work
23. TALK 6
24. Anna Leong - 61
25. Tigerbombs - One giant leap
26. Motorpsycho - Hyena
27. TALK 7
28. Oskar Schönning - Other birds
29. Pan Sonic - Rähinä II / Mayhem II
30. Mercyful Fate - Evil
31. TALK 8
32. Ricochets - Come around over
33. Ghost Brigade - Based on you
34. Smalltown - The music
35. Popface - In the night
36. TALK 9
37. Circle Six - 1

Swedish punkrockers Smalltown have a new song on myspace: www.myspace.com/smalltownsweden

Here's those Japanese tourdates for Smalltown:

04/20 - GIG, Yokohama
04/21 - Jam, Tokyo
04/22 - Nano, Kyoto
04/23 - Ise Question, Mie
04/24 - Huck Finn, Aichi
04/25 - Crowbar, Tokusima
04/26 - Jet, Matsuyama
04/27 - Vaper, Saga
04/28 - Kieth Flack, Fukuoka
04/29 - Megahertz, Fukuoka Kokura
04/30 - tba, Osaka

Swedish punk-rockers Smalltown will be releasing a split 7" with Japanese act The Crump on Snuffy Smile this coming spring. Songs will include "Back on track" plus a cover of "Politician" by Bay Area punks The Swingin' Utters. Look for Japanese tourdates in April to be announced shortly too.

Swedish punkrockers Smalltown will contributing a 20-second song called "Dead end" to an upcoming comp on Shit Sandwich featuring similar contributions from other artists such as This Bike is a Pipe Bomb, Kylesa, Iron Lung, Fleshies and more. They'll also be lending their track "The music" to "ModMod World 1 - Up North Modernists", a collection featuring some of Scandinavia's best mod/punk acts.

I went and saw the band Smalltown play here in Olympia a little over a month ago at the beginning of December. Despite a less-than-ideal show situation, the band delivered a great set of impassioned, melodic punk-rock. They reminded me a lot of the way Rancid used to be before they started believing their own hype, but with less Clash influence and more of a classic mod-rock feel ala The Jam. I don't consider myself much of a punk-rocker anymore, but I still really enjoy this sort of stuff when it's done well. Smalltown gets it right. Check out the newly posted mp3.

MP3: Smalltown - Friendly fire

I went and saw the band Smalltown play here in Olympia a little over a month ago at the beginning of December. Despite a less-than-ideal show situation, the band delivered a great set of impassioned, melodic punk-rock. They reminded me a lot of the way Rancid used to be before they started believing their own hype, but with less Clash influence and more of a classic mod-rock feel ala The Jam. I don't consider myself much of a punk-rocker anymore, but I still really enjoy this sort of stuff when it's done well. Smalltown gets it right. Check out the newly posted mp3.

Smalltown - Friendly fire

Smalltown has posted a diary from their recent US tour: http://www.smalltownsweden.com/US_tour.html

Smalltown put on a good show last night btw, despite issues with the PA and a disorganized promoter. All you SF Bay Area folks should check 'em out this weekend when they're down in your area. Classic melodic punk-rock with a heathly dose of the The Jam. Good stuff.

I'm not sure if any of you readers out there are local to me here in Olympia, but I'll be heading out to see Smalltown at YesYes tonight. See you there?

US tourdates for Swedish punkrockers Smalltown:

11/18 - The Fest 4, Gainesville, FL w/Against Me!, Dillinger 4, Bouncing souls, more
11/23 - Caravan, San José, CA w/The Odd Numbers
11/26 - Ché Café, San Diego, CA w/Tiltwheel
11/29 - IWW Hall, Portland, OR w/Straitjacket, Plan R
11/30 - The Funhouse, Seattle, WA w/Jaded 52
12/01 - Yes Yes, Olympia, WA
12/03 - 924 Gilman, Berkeley, CA w/The Briefs, Clit 45
12/05 - WCWW, Sacramento, CA w/Dead hearts, Crime in Stereo

Swedish punkrockers Smalltown will be coming over to the US in late November, first for the The Fest 4 in Gainesville, Florida from November 18-20 and then over on the West Coast immediately following Thanksgiving. Dates soon.