Lifers

Emerging from Bloomington, Indiana, garage-punk three piece Landlords have issued a powerful, lo-fi sonic statement with Lifers. Featuring members of the Door-Keys and Defiance, Ohio, Landlord doesn't sound much like either; instead, the songs seem to be drawing parallel influences from classic Bay Area punk and '90s rock, with "Not Fair" bouncing between Fifteen's Jeff Ott and Dinosaur Jr's J Mascis in a natural way that elevates Landlord's songs well above worship territory.



Most of Lifers sounds like a band trying to earnestly recreate their musical loves of a decade ago, so while they may be aiming for Teenage Fanclub, their punk pedigree puts them closer to vintage Tilt. The result is a collection of honest-sounding songs with a distinct edge, from the harmony-laden "Wedding Dress" to the Nirvana-style dirge of "Kick A Shovel" (you know, if Kurt Cobain sang for Bracket). At just over 30 minutes, Lifers is an immensely listenable collection of straight-to-tape rock 'n' roll, one that any of the above name-dropped bands would be proud to be associated with.

Bakery Outlet http://www.bakeryoutletrecords.com