VINYL OF THE MONTH: Eureka California “Versus”

VINYL OF THE MONTH
Eureka California
Versus
Athens, GA
(HHBTM Records)

Eureka California is like a shot of adrenaline to the earhole. It’s noisy, it’s filthy, it’s abrasive and oftentimes it’s catchy as all get out. Lead-off track “Eureka California’s Night In” offers up a quick burst that essentially acts as an appetizer for the main course to come.

The rest of the LP barrel-rolls out of your speakers at a pretty rapid, punk-approved clip. And then, just for good measure, amidst a sea of buzzy, fuzzy lo-fi punk, an acoustic track in “Everybody Had a Hard Year.” Normally, interrupting the flow of a punk record grinds things to a halt (unless you happen to be Paul Westerberg), but here, the warbly, jangly tune is somehow a non-misfit. Go figure.

Props for the translucent green vinyl, and a pretty rad lyric sheet that doubles as a mini-poster. It’s these touches that keep indie vinyl vital. And thanks to labels like HHBTM, scenes like the one in Athens and bands like EC, we can expect plenty more wax goodness in the coming year. Highly recommended.

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