Jawbreaker - Bivouac reissue

Ah, Jawbreaker! While we continue the waiting game for the documentary, Adam and his Blackball Records have continued the Jawbreaker reissue initiative by releasing a remastered version of the second full-length to commemorate the two decades that have elapsed since its initial release on Communion/Tupelo.

I'm not going to stoop to the level of telling you why you should be buying this record, but will inform the uninformed that the non-album tracks that previously appeared on the Chesterfield King 12" are included, along with period photographs and art mockups in booklet form.  Sweating collector nerds should be informed that said 12" is also available again. Bivouac is also available in oversized black circular form, should you be so inclined.

Step lively. Here's a link to the Blackball web presence.

R

Jawbreaker - Unfun reissue

So I got Unfun for the first time when I asked for the new Jawbox at the Music Shack on Central Ave in Albany. It wasn't until I got home that I realized the mistake, but one listen to the opening track (Want, for the ignorant) was enough to make me consider the switch divine providence. Unfun was the first full-length for our heroes, initially released on the now-defunct Shredder Records. The cd that I bought back then appended their Whack And Blight EP on the end for good measure.

As it has been 20 years since this dropped, the Adam Pfahler curated Blackball Records has remastered and reissued Unfun, with the W&B ep and 7" mix of Busy added for good measure. In the event you were wondering: yes it holds up just fine and no I won't be offended if you stop reading now to purchase this immediately. In fact, here's a link to Blackball to expedite the process. Thank me (and them) later.

Recent times have found Blake helming forgetters. Chris is Olympia and plays with Mutoid Men. Both have lots of post-grad education under their belt. In addition to being a Dad and running Blackball, Adam still runs Lost Weekend Video in San Francisco and has played in J. Church, Whysall Lane and The Moons. In somewhat related awesome esoterica his wife Lydia worked at the DC Haagen Dazs with Ian MacKaye and Henry Garfield. Small world, the punk world. Despite their untimely passing over a decade ago, the legacy of Jawbreaker is one to be learned, loved and respected. Buy their records old and new and pray that they don't ruin that legacy by reuniting.

R

Thorns of Life: Live @ Gilman 1.31.9 live download

What's more to say, really? Thorns Of Life have been playing some shows on the West Coast recently, and assumably recording a new record. They played Gilman on 1/31 and someone made a pretty good recording of it. My boy Eric hooked me up with it, but there's a link off the Blackball message board, too. It's a good show, better than the one I saw at Disgraceland, I'd say. There are some warts, but they are a new band and seem to be sounding better with every show. Now lets get some of those Thorns back in NYC already. The link for the Gilman St. show download is here, for the time being. Get it while you can. It rocks.

R