Porch - Walking Boss

I've said it a million times, if you want to have a good start to your record/CD, wrap it in some killer artwork...no doubt about it on this bad boy. This is one I got for review last March, so almost a year ago. Here's what Michael had to say back then... "We're a band called Porch, 2/3 from Oakland, CA and 1/3 from Nashville TN. We recently made a new record, self released Oct 31 2013, recorded with Tim Green at Louder Studios. It has been graciously compared to Jesus Lizard, Codeine, Unwound and Karp. We'd love for you to check it out. If you're interested in a bandcamp download code for the record, let us know. We're self promoted and would love a review if you dig the record." I was blown away, especially by the song "Bow To The Clown". Humbled I wrote back, "I would think you would be hitting up bigger more popular publications rather than my little Mom and Pop operation", and asked "what makes Porch tick, what makes you want to create, what does your music mean to you?" Well didn't hear back for some time, never did find out what makes them tick and the post ended up way back in the digital stockpile. Then in July I heard from Michael again, this time announcing the tape release of Walking Boss and a NW tour, along with a link to a very well put together interview at Custom Made Music with guitarist Todd Huth. No clue why, at this point, I didn't jump all over it and write something up...my only guess is that the planets were not aligned properly and I forgot to take my psychotropics. Well, I just got word from Michael that they are doing a Kickstarter to release this bad boy on vinyl. Now is the time, I said to myself, to show this incredible band a little support, the tiny bit MR has to offer anyway... https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/623144642/porch-walking-boss-remaster-pressing-for-vinyl/widget/video.html So except to say that they're killer, I haven't really said anything about the band. Without a fucking doubt, these here three fellas know they're way around their instruments. There is absolutely no hesitation or limitation in their playing and that playing is as one, like the Borg on Star Trek. I find myself saying it too often to describe a band, but these guys would fit well on the Am Rep or Touch and Go labels. The show of the century would be Porch, Jesus Lizard and Killdozer. The first time I listened to them playing through my crappy stock monitor speakers, but tonight it's all about the new head phones and I hear this beautifully heavy well balanced mix of bass and treble. The singing is quite remarkable, soulful and heartfelt, and the lyrics make you think and reflect. There's a lot of variety in these compositions ranging from from what you might call to mellow, to stuff that makes you want to throw on your boots and stomp something or someone...and they go back and forth seamlessly. This band is bigger than this blog. They're well represented in the virtual world, with a Bandcamp, a Facebook, a Twitter, and their own web page Porch-Noise. So now after all that babbling, why don't you give them a spin... http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1957668148/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/