My mind is out there sometimes.
I forget things and I am quick to admit it.
I have legit reasons though. With old age and a future punk rocker running around the house causing chaos daily, it is bound to happen.
I bet though if Remainders were called “Reminders”, I would have remembered to have reviewed their debut album months ago.
Still, it’s never too late to talk about bands and their tunes, especially ones that I enjoy.
The boys in Pittsburgh’s Remainders caught my attention back in 2014 with their EP Fine Exits. If you happened across my blog mentioning their EP, you’ll notice how much I enjoyed what I heard. They are a punk rock foursome who happen to write those catchy, easy to absorb jams about real things like getting old and just life in particular.
Featuring members of other Pittsburgh talent such as World’s Scariest Police Chases, Playoff Beard, and Incommunicado, their debut full-length, released on A-F Records, easily could have been their 4th or 5th album in that their sound is so defined and structured. You’d think this band has been around for 10 years.
“Serenity Now, Insanity Later” started off the 10-track album. This song was catchy and just pertained to modern life, drowning sorrows, and paying the price later.
I loved the energy in “Trying Too Hard” and especially how together the band sounded throughout. “Still a Fool” had so many singable lines throughout and just kept my attention. This has got to be one of those tracks that everyone just loses their shit to at a live show.
I especially loved the song “Smile, You Son of a Bitch” alone due to the Jaws reference, but the track itself was pretty bad ass too.
“You’re Living A Lie? I’m Living Like Twenty!” easily was my favorite track on the album. I dug the intermittent breakdowns and how it just exploded into a rager of a tune. Add to the fact how this track spoke on growing up by moving on, it became more of a personable jam for this listener.
“Onward, Upward” reminded me of the days where I thought I was had control of my vices, but was only kidding myself and others. I loved how this track sang about denial and self-realization, but without a typical happy ending.
With so many bands out there these days, it is easy to pass up something good. In this case, I was pretty much delivered by hand a copy of this album by Chris Stowe himself, and my old ass forgot about it. I place the blame on myself for overlooking it.
Hopefully Stowe and the band can understand why this is so delayed. I know at least Karim can – congrats on the newest addition to your family btw!!!.
If you are looking for a punk rock jam of an album but full of heart, then this debut release by these Steel City dudes is worth checking out. Fans of Banner Pilot, Dear Landlord, and Iron Chic will dig the hell out of this release, at least I think they will.
Who am I kidding? I’ll probably forget I even wrote this when I wake up tomorrow… Just kidding, guys, this album has been on regular rotation since I got it.
I had always hoped to catch him before or after a show where I could strike up a conversation with him and we would become fast friends. It was a typical fan expectation that never happened and I’m not mad about it. I am just grateful for the experiences I had being able to shoot Against Me! as they played songs I adored.
It can’t be easy for a band who’s trying to make it big with the major labels while knowingly losing their fan base because of it. Add on top of that a member who is struggling with their gender identification and at the brink of giving it all up, I’m shocked the band didn’t just implode.
It seems like 1995 was forever ago. I was fresh out of high school and naive to the world. There were no smart phones with cameras on them, no Facebook statuses, and people actually talked to one another in the same room. Times were different that’s for sure, and the music scene back then was amazing.
