Burger Records has been on an unflagging hot streak for longer than this site’s existed (hell, the first batch of Heartbreaking Bravery content was practically dominated by the label- from the very first post to a write-up dedicated specifically to the label). This year they’ve more than sustained their momentum, working on joint releases for recent releases from renowned artists as varied as Guided By Voices and Jenny Lewis. While those are, undoubtedly, high profiles, the label hasn’t lost sight of their roots. Dude York’s Dehumanize is full and cathartic proof of that fact.
Working alongside Help Yourself Records, Dehumanize is getting the full Burger treatment thanks to the fact it’s full of songs like “Believer”, a rollicking basement pop anthem. Characterized by a love of DIY punk and classic powerpop, “Believer” is a perfect introduction to a band that already seems ready to arrive. It’s brash, it’s catchy, and it earns the hell out of its nearly-five-minute running time, cruising by with an effortlessness and confidence that’s usually reserved for seasoned veterans. Every section’s monstrously enjoyable and illogically catchy, marking Dehumanize as an absolute must-buy from one song alone. Don’t get caught sleeping on this, it’s not worth missing- and it’s perfect for the height of summer.
Listen to “Believer” below and order the cassette from Burger here.
It’s been far too long since a Burger band’s been covered on here in something other than a Watch This feature, which is a damn shame because they’re still the flagship label for scrappy DIY basement pop bands and cassette culture. Luckily, The Rich Hands are here to right this wrong. Their sophomore effort is entitled Out of My Head and it’s full of gnarled pop jams. Burger’s gone ahead and shared one of the best from this release, “Teenager”, on their soundcloud. It’s an all-out blitz of a tune that comes inflected with OG punk undertones, from the snotty, simplistic melody straight through to the tuff guy exteriors, it’s a well-informed earworm that closes itself out with a perfectly placed half-time transition. Be prepared to hum this one to no one in particular for the next few days.
Listen to “Teenager” below and get to the nearest party as soon as possible.
Technical difficulties have struck again, forcing another late entry into the Watch This series. While it’s sincerely doubtful anyone’s growing frustrated by the lack of the regular Sunday posts for this, the schedule should be resuming soon. This is partly in thanks to the astounding influx of great material that’s been happening lately. There were enough videos to have been released in the past week and a half to warrant a double-header of Watch This, which means that Vol. 25 will be coming soon after this goes live. This installment’s fairly heavy on bands that this place has a well-documented love for. From two of the bands to make the very first 5 to See at NXNE to the very first band to ever be covered here, it feels a little bit like a family affair. It’d be next to impossible to ask for better company. So, as always, sit back, eat a pizza to drive away any lingering hangovers, relax, and Watch This.
1. Audacity – Counting the Days (Jam in the Van)
As mentioned above, Audacity were the very first band to ever be written about here at Heartbreaking Bravery. They haven’t lost a step since that feature and their songs have only grown catchier with time. More good news? Jam in the Van is back at Burgerama which means there’ll be a handful of videos that are likely going to wind up being featured here. There’s something about that combination that just works- and this is a perfect example of that.
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2. Greys – Guy Picciotto (Chart Attack)
At this point, over 100 videos have been covered in Watch This. None of them have featured a performance as fiery as the one Greys turned in at Toronto’s Sonic Boom Records of this song. There really isn’t a reason not to hit play on this one. Have at it.
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3. Ovlov – Moth Rock (Little Elephant)
Yes, an Ovlov song from these same sessions was just featured in the last Watch This– but “Moth Rock” was only uploaded a few days ago. It’s also impressive enough to earn itself a spot on this list. “Moth Rock” sees Ovlov operating at the absolute top of both their songwriting and live talents, making this must-watch (and must-listen) material.
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4. PS I Love You – Sentimental Dishes (Chart Attack)
Judging from this video and the Greys one occupying the two slot this week, it’s fair to be jealous of just about anyone that was lucky enough to spend their Record Store Day at Toronto’s Sonic Boom Records. For the rest of us, an eternal debt of gratitude is owed to Chart Attack for being on hand to capture some of it in extraordinarily high quality. This performance of “Sentimental Dishes” only reaffirms the fact that PS I Love You need to be mentioned way more often in the “best musical duos” conversation. This is some seriously inspired work; don’t let it go unnoticed.
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5. The Men – Going Down (Radio K)
The Men’s discography is remarkably consistent for how frequently the band changes their sound. There are already several arguing their most recent effort, Tomorrow’s Hits, is their high water mark. There are also several that argue it’s impossible to judge the band from the studio alone and that the songs need to be put into a live context for a more accurate test. Occasionally, those arguments crossover. It’d be difficult to find someone from either party who was disappointed with this- and it’s also a perfect way to bring the 24th installment of Watch This to a close. Enjoy!
Has any label done as much this year as Burger Records? At this point, it’s sincerely doubtful. As a testament to their restlessness, the fact that there are only two weeks left in the year has done absolutely nothing to slow them down. They’re also not ones to dabble in the politics of AotY lists and, as such, the quality of their most recent projects hasn’t been detrimental to their normal standard.
Burger has recently announced that they will be releasing the debut tapes from The Bam Bams and Night Drives. While the former is a worthwhile entry into their catalog, the latter is an absolute monster reminiscent of Thomas Function’s best work. Night Drives’ debut packs enough hooks, originality, and quality songwriting into the 11 songs on their debut that a lot of people might be upset they published their year-end lists as early as they did. It’s another must-purchase from a label that has a seemingly endless wellspring of them.
There’s no word on an official physical release for either yet but both The Bam Bams and Night Drives debuts are available for streaming in full over at Burger’s bandcamp (also referred to as their Dig It All site). Night Drives’ incredible self-titled effort can also be streamed below.
Heartbreaking Bravery 