Crimpshrine

Crimpshrine were a three-piece punk rock band from Berkeley, California that were active from 1982 to 1989. They were essentially a teenage garage band for their first few years, with Jesse Michaels (later of Operation Ivy and Classics Of Love) even being their vocalist for a duration. By 1986, a soldified line-up of vocalist/guitarist Jeff Ott, drummer Aaron Cometbus, and bassist Pete Rypins had emerged. They regularly shows in the Bay Area, and were regularly featured on various compilations, in addition to releasing two EP's, an LP, and and a handful of splits, all in the span of just a few years. Despite their short tenure, they're regarded as incredibly influential in their equally melodic and aggressive approach and prominent, technical bass lines. In a broad sense, they're kind of like the bridge between Descendents and Green Day or Jawbreaker, but grittier. I don't know, they're worth checking out if Bay Area punk is up your alley. Just a quick note on the two compilations here: Sound Of A New World Being Born includes their early material, including their first two EPs. Duct Tape Soup consists of tracks intended for an LP in 1988, but released over a variety of splits and compilations instead. Enjoy.

9 Song Demo (1987)

1. Over The Years

2. Wake Up

3. Another Day

4. RDC

5. Walk Away

6. Can You Feel That?

7. I Don't Know Why

8. My Friend

9. Tomorrow

Sleep, What's That? EP (1988)

1. Bricks

2. In My Mind

3. Sleep, What's That?

4. Tomorrow

Quit Talkin' Claude... EP (1989)

1. Butterflies

2. Situation

3. Easy Answers

4. Inspiration

Lame Gig Contest (1989)

1. Left Outside Again

2. Safely Wasting Away

3. Along The Way

4. WNWSFK - Can You Feel That?

5. R.D.C.

6. The Tour

7. My Friend

8. Wake Up

9. New Scenery

10. Concrete Lawns

11. 2nd Generation Junkies

12. MSFMB

13. Another Day

14. Rearranged

Crimpshrine/Mutley Chix (1989)

1. Crimpshrine - Closed Doors

2. Crimpshrine - Caught Up

3. Crimpshrine - Fucked Up Kid

4. Mutley Chix - Small Town, Big Hell

5. Mutley Chix - Lamp

Jawbreaker/Crimpshrine (1993)

1. Jawbreaker - Better Half

2. Crimpshrine - Sanctuary

Duct Tape Soup (1992)

1. Trying Too Hard

2. Summertime

3. Caught Up

4. Left Outside Again

5. Safely Wasting Away

6. Wake Up

7. Pick Up The Pieces

8. RDC

9. Construction

10. Closed Doors, Closed Minds

11. Pretty Mess

12. WNWSFK

13. Can You Feel That?

14. Along The Way

15. Free Will

16. Fucked Up Kid

The Sound Of A New World Being Born (1998)

1. Another Day

2. Rearranged

3. Over The Years

4. Walk Away

5. Bricks

6. Sleep, What's That?

7. MSFMB

8. Second Generation Junkies

9. In My Mind

10. Tomorrow

11. Butterflies

12. Situation

13. Direction Of Things To Come

14. Sanctuary

15. My Friend

16. Tour

17. Easy Answers

18. Inspiration

Samiam

Samiam are a five-piece punk/emo band from Berkeley, California that formed in 1988 and are still active today. They are one of the longest-running and most consistent bands in their hemisphere, carving out a distinct sound with chunky, melodic guitars, a pumping rhythm section and impassioned vocals. Over the years they put 8 full-length albums alongside a multitude of other releases. The band has undergone quite a few line-up changes, with vocalist Jason Beebout and guitarist Sergie Lookboff being the longest-serving. In 1994, the band released Clumsy on Atlantic Records, which brought them some mainstream attention, though they subsequently began a long-standing relationship with Hopeless Records.  As such, they are mostly known and renowned in emo and pop punk circles. They have been immensely influential, akin to bands such as Jawbreaker, Hot Water Music, and Fuel, which blended the energy of punk rock with melody and introspection. Admittedly, this is a band I do like a lot, but never dived super deep into, so I apologize if this is fairly vague and superficial. Having said that, when thinking of bands whose absence on here borders on criminal, Samiam are one of the first to come to mind. Enjoy!

Underground (1989)

1. Underground

2. Because You Don't

3. Looking At Me

4. Insightful

5. Blank Expression

I Am (1990)

1. Too Many Buttons

2. Insightful

3. Tired O' Waiting

4. Dog Si Kram

Samiam (1990)

1. Television

2. Home Sweet Home

3. The Bridge

4. Sympathy

5. Ever Felt Avoided

6. Underground

7. Speed

8. Just Another

9. Trusty

10. Stained Glass

11. My Eyes

12. Because You Don't

13. You Looking At Me

14. Insightful

15. Blank Expression

16. Early Morning

Soar (1991)

1. Clean

2. Slumbering

3. Viewpoint

4. Someone's Gotta Lose

5. Lack Of Reason

6. Tell Me A Story

7. Sky Flying By

8. Cakewalk

9. Great

10. Simple Solution

11. Milkbone

12. For Sale

13. Whole

14. Louie

15. Ed Says

16. Friend

17. Where D'ya Go?

Beauf (1991)

1. The Last Word

2. Well

3. Conditions

4. At The Bottom

5. Head Trap

6. Too Many Buttons

7. Tired O' Waiting

8. New Queen

Jawbreaker/Samiam (1991)

1. Jawbreaker - Split

2. Samiam - Head Trap

Stump. (1992)

1. Sky Flying By (Acoustic)

2. Home Sweet Home (Acoustic)

3. You Looking At Me (Acoustic)

Don't Break Me (1992)

1. Don't Break Me

2. You Looking At Me

3. Sky Flying By

4. Home Sweet Home

5. Homeboy

Billy (1992)

1. Don't Break Me

2. Well

3. Head Trap

4. The Pith

5. Go Away

6. Why Where When

7. Regret

8. Get Out

9. Conditions

10. Hey Brother

11. Homeboy

12. Ten Feet Tall

13. At The Bottom

Clumsy (1994)

1. As We're Told

2. Capsized

3. Stepson

4. Bad Day

5. Tag Along

6. Routine

7. Simca

8. No Size That's Small

9. She's A Part Of Me

10. Cradle

11. Time By The Dime

Your Choice Live Series 037: Samiam/Texas Is The Reason (1996)

1. Samiam - Stepson

2. Samiam - Sky Flying By

3. Samiam - Full On

4. Samiam - Clean

5. Samiam - Speed

6. Samiam - Time By The Dime

7. Samiam - Home Sweet Home

8. Texas Is The Reason - Nickel Wound

9. Texas Is The Reason - The Magic Bullet Theory

10. Texas Is The Reason - Johnny On The Spot

11. Texas Is The Reason - Dressing Cold

12. Texas Is The Reason - A Jack With One Eye

13. Texas Is The Reason - Antique

Ping-Pong Gods EP (1996)

1. Garlic Frog Diet - Poverty

2. Garlic Frog Diet - In All Innocence

3. Samiam - No Size That Small (Live)

4. Samiam - Stepson (Live)

Erase Yer Head #4 (1996)

1. Samiam - Glow

2. Sixpack - Starkfield

The New Red Years (1997)

1. The Bridge

2. Sympathy

3. Clean

4. Slumbering

5. Tell Me A Story

6. Great

7. For Sale

8. Where D'ya Go?

9. Well

10. Head Trap

11. Why, Where, When

12. Conditions

13. Ten Feet Tall

14. You Looking At Me

15. Sky Flying By

16. Home Sweet Home

17. Homeboy

You Are Freaking Me Out (1997)

1. Full On

2. She Found You

3. Factory

4. Ordinary Life

5. If You Say So

6. Good Enough

7. Mr. Walker

8. My Convenience

9. Charity

10. While You Were Waiting

11. Nothing New

12. Out Of My Mind

13. Cry Baby Cry

She Found You (1997)

1. She Found You

2. Capsized (Live)

3. Regret (Live)

Search And Destroy (1999)

1. Factory

2. Search And Destroy

3. Bad Day (Live)

4. My Convenience (Live)

5. Stepson (Live)

6. Don't Break Me (Live)

Astray (2000)

1. Sunshine

2. Wisconsin

3. Super Brava

4. Mud Hill

5. Paraffin

6. Calloused

7. Mexico

8. Dull

9. Curbside

10. Bird Bath

11. How Long

12. Why Do We

Whatever's Got You Down (2006)

1. When We're Together

2. Take Care

3. Get It Right

4. Do You Want To Be Loved

5. Storm Clouds

6. Anything

7. Come Home

8. Are You Alright

9. Lullaby

10. Believer

11. Holiday Parade

12. Bide My Time

13. Ham Bone

Orphan Works (2010)

1. Ain't No Size That Small

2. Capsized

3. Regret

4. Bad Day

5. My Convenience

6. Stepson

7. Don't Break Me

8. Mr. Walker

9. I Want More

10. Search And Destroy

11. Here Comes Your Man

12. Stepson.

13. Sky Flying By

14. Full On

15. Clean

16. Speed

17. Time By The Dime

18. Home Sweet Home

Trips (2011)

1. 80 West

2. Clean Up

3. September

4. Demon

5. Crew Of One

6. Dead

7. How Would You Know

8. Nightly

9. Freetime

10. El Dorado

11. Magellan

12. Did You Change

13. Happy For You

Complete Control Sessions (2012)

1. Sunshine

2. Dull

3. El Dorado

4. Wisconsin

5. September Holiday

6. Take Care

Lights Out Little Hustler (2022)

1. Lights Out Little Hustler

Stowaway (2023)

1. Lake Speed

2. Crystallized

3. Lights Out, Little Hustler

4. Shoulda Stayed

5. Shut Down

6. Scout Knife

7. Monterey Crayon

8. Natural Disasters

9. Stanley

10. Highwire

11. Something

12. Stowaway

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Sailboats

It's absolutely insane that it took this long for this band to finally making an appearance on here. I figured for years that I had done a post on them way back, but alas was sorely mistaken. Regardless, this gem of a document is finally in the archive. As you might know, Sailboats were a very short-lived screamo band from Berkeley, California that were around from 2002 to 2003. They only released one official two-song demo and that was it. There is some speculation regarding another two-song demo often attributed to their name, but it really doesn't sound like them and no official information has come out confirming it is them. They also allegedly recorded a full-length. If it does exist, seeing as we haven't heard it by now, I doubt we ever will. Regardless, these two songs, particularly "Behind Trees" is a masterclass in screamo. 

Now, a major reason this band is still talked about is because two of its three members formed Loma Prieta shortly after the dissolution of Sailboats, with drummer Val Saucedo (also of Punch fame) is still a member to this day. Even years post-Sailboats, Loma would still occasionally play "Behind Trees" live, even after building up an incredible discography of their own, that's how much of a standout track it is. It's pretty rare to come across a project like this, as it balances both being an intriguing historical document while also making for a great listen that holds up years later. I'm still dumbfounded as to how this slipped through the cracks for this long (especially considering how short and easy it'd be), but glad it's finally found its place here. Enjoy.

Demo (2003)

1. Behind Trees

2. 2

Operation Ivy

Does this band really need an introduction? They've been massively influential, become very well-known (partially because of their successor), and helped create a new subgenre (ska punk). Here's a quick overview anyway, to fill up space. Operation Ivy were a four-piece punk/ska band from Berkeley, California that were around from 1987 to 1989. They were one of the earliest bands to fuse punk rock and ska music together, though they do take clear influence from The Clash, who were doing that nearly a decade earlier. Op Ivy only released a handful of material, though their sole LP Energy is a bona fide classic, and an album I think introduced a lot of people to punk rock.

It's hard not to mention this band without acknowledging what two out of four of these guys would do after. Guitarist Tim Armtrong and bassist Matt McCall formed Rancid after Op Ivy broke up, though that's a whole other thing. Vocalist Jesse Michaels put on an album a few years ago with his new band, Classics Of Love, which is also worth noting. Below is the compilation released in 1991 that included both their LP Energy as well as their EP Hectic. Enjoy.

Operation Ivy (1991)

1. Knowledge

2. Sound System

3. Jaded

4. Take Warning

5. The Crowd

6. Bombshell

7. Unity

8. Vulnerability

9. Bankshot

10. One of These Days

11. Gonna Find You

12. Bad Town

13. Smiling

4. Caution

15. Freeze Up

16. Artificial Life

17. Room Without a Window

18. Big City

19. Missionary

20. Junkies Runnin' Dry

21. Here We Go Again

22. Hoboken

23. Yellin' In My Ear

24. Sleep Long

25. Healthy Body

26. Officer

27. I Got No

Mom Jeans.

The requests are killing me. I can no longer deny the awesomeness that is Mom Jeans., who put out an incredible album last year that is right up this blog's alley. Mom Jeans. are a three-piece punk/emo/indie band from Berkeley, California that formed in 2014. Best Buds is 10 tracks of catchy songs with unforgettably relatable lyrics. Fans of Tigers Jaw, Modern Baseball, The Front Bottoms, Joyce Manor, and The Hotelier will undoubtedly fall in love with this record. I don't even know what else to say about this, honestly. This is a great album that has been requested to death, and one that I'm sure a lot of people here will get into it. Enjoy.

Best Buds (2016)

1. Death Cup

2. Danger Can't

3. Movember

4. Edward 40 Hands

5. *sobs quietly*

6. Poor Boxer Shorts

7. Remy's Boys

8. Girl Scout Cookies

9. Scott Pilgrim V. My GPA

10. Vape Nation

Mom Jeans/Graduating Life (2017)

1. Graduating Life - Metallica Rules

2. Graduating Life - Mom Jeans Sucks (But Austin Drives A Fast Car Tho)

3. Mom Jeans. - Heck You Bart Pt. II: Electric Boogaloo

4. Mom Jeans. - Shred Cruz

NOW That's What I Call Music Vol. 420 (2017)

1. Prince Daddy & The Hyena - Thrashville 1/3

2. Pictures of Vernon - The Sunshine Bus

3. Mom Jeans. - YIKES (daddy wants wings)

4. Prince Daddy & The Hyena - Thrashville 2/3 (ft. Kississippi)

5. Pictures of Vernon - Camp Games 1.1

6. Mom Jeans. - Vape Nation 2.0

Puppy Love (2018)

1. near death fail comp (must watch until end)

2. sponsor me tape

3. glamorous

4. I left my towel at my friends house and then they moved PT. 1

5. PT. 2

6. season 9 EP 2-3

7. you can't eat cats, Kevin

8. Jon Bong Jovi

9. PICKLE BART

10. now THIS is podracing

Sweet Tooth (2022)

1. Something Sweet

2. What's Up?

3. Hippo In The Water

4. White Trash Millionaire

5. Circus Clown

6. Sugar Rush

7. Graduating Life

8. Luv L8r

9. Crybaby (On The Phone)

10. Anime Theme Song

11. Tie Dye Acid Trip

12. Ten Minutes

13. Teeth

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