Volume 22 of DCxPC Live, a live album vinyl record label for punk, hardcore, ska and metal bands, features Sticky Steve, Borrowed Sparks, Jacob Danielsen-Moore and Dougie Flesh and the Slashers. This iteration leans heavy into folk punk and psychobilly sensibilities. Think Laura Jane Grace if she was obsessed with Spirit Halloween and B-horror movies.
The vinyl itself didn’t seem to mind my near death, rescued from a dumpster, record player so that’s already one major pro for the album. I don’t know if it’s just me, but physical albums covers catch my eye far more than the digital ones. This could be my poor vision talking but the tiny squares on Bandcamp and Spotify don’t do much for me. DCxPC Live: Vol. 22 keeps things simple in black and white with each bands’ stylized logo emblazoned on the front. The clash of styles and fonts makes it feel like the gig poster for a bill of local bands at your favorite dive bar. Content wise the album is split evenly in four- each group performing three songs.
First up, Sticky Steve. Opener ‘Cathedrals’ includes a spoken word intro and warm acoustic guitar. It’s very Against Me! But it’s also very Green Day, very All Time Low. It’s the sound of someone who grew up worshipping musicians. The live recording catches the echoes of the room and the particular way the vocals dig into the word ‘beer’. While it’s a shorter track, it perfectly encapsulates why the album excels in a live format. The following longer song, ‘Vultures’, cuts in with an upbeat riff reminiscent of Bowie’s ‘Queen Bitch’. One of my favorite things about folk punk is the contrast between the upbeat music and, frankly, depressing lyrics. ‘Vultures’ is a consummate example of this with lines like “suburban quicksand, where everything is okay, but not alright”. Sticky Steve’s final track ‘Waves’ is aggressive in its barking vocals and simmering guitar.
Next up is Borrowed Sparks with a collection of nostalgia heavy songs. ‘Are You Listening’ features what sounds like finger picked guitar, but even if it’s not, it’s still beautifully intricate. Harmonica joins the mix on ‘Man With a Different Name’. The song reaches for a certain anthemic quality present in Bruce Springsteen songs. ‘Patron Saint’ feels like 90s Tom Petty in the best way possible. It’s desolate, it’s deep, it’s dangerously catchy. I’m not sure if it’s just the harmonica but ‘Man With a Different Name’ and ‘Patron Saint’ bleed into each other so smoothly I have a hard time telling it’s a different song.
Jacob Danielsen-Moore starts the second half of the compilation with a surprisingly tender song called ‘Coke Dick Motorcycle Awesome’. Danielsen-Moore’s vocals speak to hours spent in punk house basement shows and give you a new appreciation for the word gruff. ‘Of (Only Fans)’ is not about, uh, that. I think? I’m having a hard time placing Moore on the sincerity scale. Outrageous names aside, the track is gentle, almost lullaby-esque, with its rhythmic riff and soft melody. The energy is dialed up for ‘Deep Valley’. An ode to friends, youth and loss, it jams a number of 90s teenage tableaus into its runtime.
Lastly, Dougie Flesh and the Slashers. ‘I Want To Believe’ is a croaked out dirge about Alex Jones and wild conspiracy theories. The rough vocals and melodic sarcasm bring to mind Vancouver band Die Job. I wish ‘Printerdix’, a song about a mindless office job, was a little less relevant to my life- but that’s no fault of Dougie (or the Slashers). The lyrics are pithy and melodies straightforward but memorable. Album closer, and psychobilly flag bearer, ‘Something in the Shadows’ starts off with a slurred refrain. It morphs into a slasher story with circus inspired riffs. For more horror punk vibes I’d recommend their eponymous 2017 EP.
DCxPC Live: Vol. 22 serves as a reminder that vinyl isn’t dead. The compilation can be found in scattered parts on streaming services but it’s full form, live and warm, is uniquely vinyl.
