PREMIERE: New songs from Ripper + Finesse off Forged Artifacts ‘Greatest of All Time #2’ Comp
Forged Artifacts is a great local label that have been plugging away releasing indie rock from Minnesota and beyond for the last few years. In addition to their LPs, they also have dipped their toe in the world of compilations, working to collect unheard and too-often unheralded music. The first edition of “Greatest of All Time” was a smashing success, so the label decided to give another run at bringing together unreleased songs from local bands for a Vol. 2. This version is 18 songs that span the musical spectrum, from well-known local groups to bands who are brand new to me, doing what complications do best: collecting and combining different strains of music to make sure we don’t stay too firmly entrenched in our silos.
There is a variety of music on the CS, but much of the music falls into a few distinct sounds. One bucket of the songs fall under the “dream pop” spectrum, ranging from the day-glo pop of Suzie’s “Over It” to the sexed-up “Love Hate” by Joey Joey Michaels to the hazy melancholy of Cheap Fantasy “Ain’t Hard” track and the rustic “Sweaty Now” from Lattice Moore. Another batch highlight melodic garage punk, from the scuzzy What Tyrants track “Rainmaker” to the frantic chaos of “Kiss the Ground” from Ripper to the polished, ready-for-FM “Denim Dream” by Spooky Ghost. This portion also includes the Kinks-eqse Panther Ray track “Because Your New,” the classic rock influenced “Teenage Tom” by Private Interests and the “The Lake” by ahem, which brings in the spirit of 90s alternative. A third group venture into lo-fi punk, namely Tony Peachka’s kiss-off “Gossip Girl,” the angular “Good Feeling” from Daisy Chains, the herky-jerky punk of “Fortune” by Posh Lost, the plucky romance of “Hickey” by fiji-13 and the spirited sarcasm of “Snowball” by Royal Brat.
In addition to the genre clusters mentioned above, there are random songs like the New Order referencing “Find-A-Way” by Finesse, which slides through the speaker with an inexplicable coolness, the short metallic burst of hardcore from Murf on “I’d Buy that for a Dollar,” and the grunge nostalgia of album opener “I Went Away” from Fury Things. We are lucky enough to be able to premiere the contributions by Finesse and Ripper, two songs that highlight the range of music you’ll hear from this release. You can stream both of the tracks at the post.
The collection as a whole is a release that unwinds something new each time you listen, which is the sign of a good comp. Forged Artifacts has been a consistent champion of new and interesting local (and beyond) music, and that spirit is captured in full on the wonderful Greatest of All Time releases. If, for some reason, supporting a great record label and cool local music isn’t enough, proceeds from the tape go to the ACLU. Stream the two songs below and buy the whole tape from the FA bandcamp page HERE.
There will be a local release show for the tape on Friday, May 5th at Blackfort. The show will feature comp artists ahem, Private Interests, cheap fantasy, Posh Lost and Fury Things. More info/RSVP HERE.
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