Hello readers,
Here on the 777" column, we are fans of two numbers; 3 and 7. Seeing as this is the third installment of what I'm sure is your favorite column, it only felt right that we should provide something special to mark the occasion. After all, I didn't expect the column to last this long (believe it or not), nor do I expect to have the energy to keep up with seven, so let's enjoy ourselves while we can. Anyway, we're happy to offer the first None More Black 7” for download in its entirety. I've corresponded with Jason Shevchuk in the past and it only seemed right that I should ask him if he was okay with this. He agreed and so the 7" appears here in its entirety for easy download and consumption and, for that reason and more, we expect you to personally thank him next time you run into him and buy him a beer. Don't say we don't try.
Todd Congelliere
People of the Sand
(Ol’ Tennis Shoes Records, 2009)
1. “Too Many Choices”
2. “Bottom Of The Sea”
3. “People of The Sand”
Availability: Recess Records store, among others (www.recessrecords.com )
Todd Congelliere: Believe it or not, the man has fronted some of the most influential and relevant punk bands of all time, from F.Y.P. to his newly-formed Underground Railroad to Candyland. If there was a theme that perfectly describes his approach to making punk rock, it would be “simple and weird” and, throwing in Todd’s odd vocal approach (sometimes drone-y, sometimes infantile, sometimes screeching), it can only be said that the sounds he creates and his unique songwriting style are the dictionary definition of Cong-core. Those who disagree; off with your heads!
This year, the man has decided to go the solo route and release a small EP of his solo work, tapping heavily from the Weird column. In what can only be described as grown-up kids music, Todd throws xylophones, mouth clicks and other unconventional oddities into his broken-down acoustic sounds to create a silly-yet-brilliant presentation that borders on haunting.
Although we’re terribly deprived of a new Toys That Kill album, this small and underrated EP gives us another dose of The Cong that, though it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, will suit suit fans just fine.
Toys That Kill
Don’t Take My Clone
(Dirtnap Records, 2005)
1. “Don’t Take My Clone”
2. “Breaking Out”
Availability: Interpunk (interpunk.com )
Serving another dose of straight-up Cong-core (the term simply slips off the tongue, doesn't it?) on a slab of hot wax, this 7-inch contains probably my favorite TTK song ever written, “Don’t Take My Clone.” Not many bands can write such a bare-bones and simple song, and even fewer pull it off this effortlessly. But then again, this is Toys That Kill we’re talking about.
Here we have two efforts of what the band does best: straightforward, rockin’, thumpin’ punk rock. The beauty of being a fan of this band is that, with every release, they keep getting better and better – and this release is no exception. To put none too fine a point on the quality of these two songs, every time I hear the words, “Don’t think slow/You’re the first to go/Erase my kids/So I can make his,” I don’t know if I should get behind the kit and drum along or kick myself for not having come up with those lyrics first.
None More Black
s/t
(Sub-Division, 2001)
1. “What’s Inside”
2. “Bone”
3. “Invisible Suitcase”
4. “That’s So Franco”
Availability: Out of Print
Jason Shevchuk seems to have a Midas touch of some sort. Whether it’s with Kid Dynamite, None More Black, OnGuard, or LaGrecia, Shevchuk has been able to think outside the box every time, and for that you have to give him credit. Here we have a great opportunity to experience my favorite Shevchuk incarnation in its embryonic form, the first None More Black EP!
Long out of print, the songs on this 7-inch have a certain quality to them that, although certainly containing the elements that make NMB so great (paranoid/bitter lyrics and catchy-as-hell riffs), are in an incomplete form. The band is still finding itself on this release. And although it’s certainly interesting, fun, and a treat to listen to, it simply does not compare to the greatness that the band would achieve in its full length albums later. Nevertheless, we’re graced with the presence of “Invisible Suitcase,” a ‘lost’ gem in the NMB catalog.
Welcome back guys.
Ollie Mikse is an unarmed, disgruntled graduate student at Penn State Hershey who takes as great a pleasure overextending himself as he does searching for the Light at the End of the Tunnel. When's he's not neglecting his studies for other more fulfilling tasks, he fancies himself a revolutionary and spends his time with, among other things, his band The Ottomans. (www.myspace.com/theottomansmusic ).
Dowload:
“What’s Inside” from self-titled single
“Bone” from self-titled single
“Invisible Suitcase” from self-titled single
“That’s So Franco” from self-titled single
