| The Copyrights |
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North Sentinel Island |
Aug13. One I did not discover until 2013, but HAD to go back and include. I first heard 20 Feet Tall and was immediately hooked. That song and then several others went straight to the Fav Folder, including: Trustees of Modern Chemistry (a cool start to album), Crutches, Hard-Wired, Expatriate Blues (a rather short ditty), and the cool Bow Down; meaning what a killer first 6 tracks. Very good songs on the second half: Restless Head, the short Sleep Better, Scars (that starts like a Clash song), the cool chorus of Never Move Your Back Row, and the easy Well-fed and Warm. Well, this just rocketed into the top 3. I will need to listen to more, but this is exactly the style of music that hooks me in. :) Jun19. This has become a clear favourite post 2000 album for me. Would probably take top spot for 2011 for me now. Score adjusted. Sept20. From the fucking awesome oppening riff of Trustees of Modern Chemistry I am hooked. What a cracking start to an album. I'm a sucker for songs that pause and then kick back in, too. Crutches is light and bouncing and as catchy as fluff on velcro. How that backing beat leads into the awesome bass start of Hard-Wired is amazing. And try not to sing along to the chorus of this. The ringing guitars rock too. Then it's the magical chords of 20 Feet Tall, the song that came on in a random punk playlist and got me hooked on these guys. What a great mantra. This song perks me up every time. I want to jump around to it now! It is my #1 song for 2011. The cry of, "I'm not homesick: I'm sick of home," in Expatriate Blues is another great song for these times of isolation. The riff and driving rhythm of Bow Down is right up my alley. How cool is that chorus? Worn Out Passport is a solid rocker that I am sure newcomers would find easy to like. Another cool bass intro for Restless Head before those cool guitars kick in. The short and cool Restless head leads into the slower Scars. This one really grows on me with each listen. It is approaching favourite status. The New Ground Floor just went into my 2011 H100 too (it was the only song not in there before this listen). Things don't slack off towards the end either. Never Move Your Back Row is just a fantastic song all round. I love the almost 50's sounding guitars in parts. The sound the Ramones nailed. And another fun chorus to sing along to. I love the bass and drums in Well-Fed & Warm. Nah, I love it all. Hell Will Be Party Time is not the strongest track here, but still a fun finish. As it stands right now, this is the 6th album on my albums of the decade. Right alongside other smaller punk bands I am sure The Copyrights know: Spraynard and Banner Pilot. The perfect album for my listening tastes. Mar25. Not much to add other than it is still a Top10 of the decade album for me. Fav4: 20 Feet Tall (my #1 The Copyrights song), Trustees of Modern Society, Hard-Wired and Never Move Your Back Row. As stated, this is the Perfect album for me. 7/7 |
| The Copyrights |
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Alone in a Dome |
Nov23. Overall, I really like this album and it has only gotten better with time. I probably cannot put it on the same level as North Sentinel Island, the album that got me into these guys, but there is a chance the songs are even better. They certainly bring the nostalgia, from the dying town of Part of the Landscape to the empty store fronts of On Division. There is also some sense of growing older as a listener and like the narrator of Part of the Landscape whose hair goes from rust to ash grey. This song opens the album with a cracking riff and thumping beat. It is one of my favourites songs by the band as of 2021. I loved those emphasised chords that highlight the vocals. Even the short lead break is awesome. Halos is straight up punk rock fun with a bass-driven chorus that you have to sing along to. Stuck in the Winter has some great builds in it and also has lyrics about growing older. Pretender is a driving song about unrequited love with another fun chorus. No Dissertation brings a different sound with rapid guitars and beat but slow-delivered vocals over the top. Wow. Tell Molly has grown to be a favourite. It uses a relationship as a metaphor for life growing stale and being happy with contentment, I think. Before Midnight is an ode to the good ol' night life. Looking back to other times comes out in the lyrics here too, with the brilliant lines: 'Looks like they used to make things here, Now it doesn't even make sense.' A very cool guitar hook kicking in at the end of the chorus makes this song even better. No Such Thing as Grownups is a cool title for a song and this one thumps along with cool sounds in there too - especially the second half. A very interesting vibe about denying and 'cleaning-up' history too. The melody of The One Week is fantastic. The sound of this one reminds me of another band that I cannot put my finger on at this moment: Face to Face maybe? There is something in the rhythm and vocal delivery in Brush Off that reminds me of Letters to Cleo's version of I Want You to Want Me. Enemies has a fast punk energy to it and was one of my first songs thumbed. Then comes album closer, On Division which brings all the feels of the album all wrapped up in one song. Fantastic finish. I assume they are singing about Division Street and I wonder if it is the same Division Street Banner Pilot sang about. (I am taking a guess and thinking it is a main street of Chicago?). This may just be their best album and songwriting for sure. I think I am going to have to let go of the nostalgia myself and rate this up there with North Sentinel Island. A cracking punk album and right up my alley. Jul25. Just back for my Fav4: Part of the Landscape, Halos, Stuck in the Winter and On Division. Still loving this. 7/7 |
| The Copyrights |
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Report |
Apr17. Listening to this now and I am still loving it. Probably the only thing holding it back from a 5/5, is simply, I like their last LP even more. Apr24. Having had time with this album, I can confirm it does deserve a 5/5. Slider is a fantastic, fast introduction that leads straight into the bounce of Heart of Glue. I love the lyrics in this and the chorus is brilliant. Telescope I think is a metaphor for growing up at the same time using bodies of water as barriers. It has another fun, sing-a-long chorus. We have a run of songs that are very good and change the pace up. When we get to the great riffing to kick off World's On Fire - you can't not be a good mood. I love the staccato guitars in this one but things get even better with No Knocks when they sing about 'When will it stop?' and the music stops. I love when music stops and starts again - so much fun live. This is another cool song about growing up without a silver spoon and doing things your own way. Fireworks also uses change of pace well. You have to be bouncing around from the opening chords of Wishbone. "I've got a wishbone, not a backbone!" Some of these later songs were not among my favourites, but I have all songs from this album thumbed. Some of the later songs have grown on me a lot. Basement was always a favourite though. A good motivational song about 'getting out there'. I love this. Jul25. 12 songs from this album made my Top70 The Copyrights song list. Whilst I place it slightly behind North Sentinel Island, the margin is so small, I am going for the 7/7 here as well. In fact, I am starting to like this album a lot more as I have not played it as much. Fav4: No Knocks, Slider, Heart of Glue, and World's On Fire. Fantastic. 7/7 |
| The Copyrights |
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Make Sound |
Apr17. Not as strong all the way through as later albums, but some excellent songs on here and I like it more with each listen. Apr24. Now that I have had a few more listens, including several today, I think it is time to give this album its dues. It is certainly better than the 3.5/5 I gave it after a few plays 7 years ago. First song, Kids of the Black Hole, is a belter, despite the lack of lyrics. It is like a Teenage Bottlerocket chant song. The harmonica coming out is a bit of a surprise too. Head Count has that familiar The Copyrights guitar sound that I cannot describe but it is such a cool and unique tone. Then comes the very cool Knee Deep. This song has such a cool rhythm and I love the lyrics. Great riffing too. I believe Pentagrams to be about a relationship with a goth, I guess. Not the strongest song, but it did grow on me enough to thumb - the chorus is quite catchy. The Company brings similar vibes to Pulley's Working Class Whore. It is a fun, simple song with fantastic yelled backing vocals. Big Mistakes is another song that really grew on me. It also reminds me of Teenage Bottlerocket - especially the guitars and chanted chorus. There is a real quirky keyboard in there too that I liked. Planet Earth 1994 of course appeals to me. I love songs with lyrics that reminisce, and ironically, they sing about not wanting to do just that. Stuck in the Summertime has a great driving pace and is very catchy, including "Ba babahs". Thinking with the Lights On is such fun and would be a great crowd participation song. My favourite song here, but it is over way too soon. Unsatisfied is one of the weaker tracks but Caveat Emptor is a really good slower-paced song (but not a ballad). That chugging guitar that turns to a ringing sound (like Bodyjar or Teen Bottlerocket) is fantastic and so are the harmonies. There are a couple of weaker tracks near the end, though Stand Up / Sit Down probably does not deserve that tag. I think it just suffers from being near the end of the album. Leave You Where We Find You is a decent finish too, but I reckon they needed a stronger track here at the end. This is such a good album for my tastes, but I love this band. I am glad I went back to get to know this one more. This is consistently very good, but lacking the absolute standouts of later albums. I'd say there are two. Jul25. Seven songs from this made my Top70 The Copyrights songs list and there are others on here I really like, so this album does run deep. I have two clear favourites and then a buch I like a lot. Fav4: Thinking with the Lights On, Kids of the Black Hole, Knee Deep and The Company. All but two songs near the end now thumbed and I wanted to add more to my lists and top few. A much better album than I first gave it credit for (simply b/c I cam back to this one after lafter albums I loved). 6/7 |
| The Copyrights |
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New Ghosts - EP |
Dec24. Something I did not take any notice of on first listens to the songs here was how different they are, both to each other and to their regular stuff. Most choruses certainly sound familiar, but the band has experimented with new sounds here, including a long, electronic intro for last song Haunt Me Still. Someone else typing that in their review would be a red flag for me, but it is a very good song. The build up is fantastic and that moment two-and-a-half minutes in where it takes off is brilliant. From there to the end it just gets better. Whoever engineered this did a great job. Layers of cool sounds. That holds true for Buried Treasure too. I have no idea what they used to make that opening melody, but damn it is catchy. I love how it continues in the background of the main track. This would sound awesome with expensive headphones (of which, unfortuantely, I don't have). For the most part, the song sounds like standard The Copyrights, but this little background element offers a little variation. Opening track, In there Somewhere sounds like it could have been on the last album. Maybe it is not b/c it sounds a little too like Part of the Landscape. I love that song, so of course I love this one. That just leaves Born to Hide which opens with a 60's garagey riff. What a fun bounce to it and a crazy-fun outro part. It reminds me of The Connection. I'm not massive on background vocals but they work very well on this one. At only 4 tracks, I cannot go crazy on this, but now that I know all the songs, I really rate this. It has me very interested to see where the band will go on their next LP. Whilst I like some experimentation here, I hope they don't completely change their sound though. Pretty sure they won't. 6/7 |
| The Copyrights |
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Learn the Hard Way |
Apr24. I should really like this album as the band pick up the pace on several tracks here. It's just I am not sure that suits them. I need more listens as songs were starting to take hold. I only had four tracks thumbed before today's listens, and have added three more, including the awesomely-titled lead song, Second Hearse, Same as the First. 57 North is my favourite on here, but it only goes for just over a minute. It is another one of those fun chant songs. It leads well into the next song that did grow on me a lot: Charlie Birger Time. The bass that kicks off Two Left Feet is very cool and this was another early favourite for me. The next two are faster songs and I am sure on another day might be favourites, but for now, my next favourite song is Switchblades - it has a catchy chorus. Out of Ideas and Shit's Fucked are my favourite tracks on a weaker second half. This is still a sound I really like and I love some albums by this band. I don't think I have spent enough time on this one, but as I am ranking their discography on 7Rock right now, I have to move on. Happy with a 7/10ish. Juk25. I have come to like this album more. Most songs are now thumbed and five made my Top70 list of songs by the band. I am even finding new favourites in this listen, like Sleepwalker. There is more bounce and pace on this album and some very good tracks on here, but none are amoung their very best. Fav4: 57 North, Shit's Fucked (which I have the trucker's cap of), Two Left Feet and Switchblades. A damn fina album overall, and I am sure it might even rise higher with more listens, but for now, upping the sore to… 5.5/7 |
| The Copyrights |
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We Didn't Come Here to Die |
Apr24. Okay, this is a little odd. I came into this band with North Sentinel Island after hearing one track and loving it. I never really considered them Ramonescore, but the more I listen to their earlier stuff, the more I am hearing it. This album reminds me so much of Teenage Bottlerocket. They have the same ringing guitar tone and so many songs with short, chanted lyrics. And whilst I love that sound, I think there may be too many of them on here. I like the lyrics on later albums - there just are not many of them here. I have been listening to this album in background for a couple of days and several songs ear-wormed their way in. It gets off to a great fast start with They Say into Talkbomb. I can't decide on Face for Radio - sometimes I like it, sometimes I skip it. I thumbed I'll Be Fine and Graveyards Down the Street early, but by the time of writing this I have already tired of them a little. Crybabies grew on me. It is a faster track with cool stops and starts (which gets me everytime). Four Eyes will be hated by many, but the harmonies on this one suck me in. Forever or Today is probably the pick of the next few tracks, but I have not got any of them thumbed until Go Now - my favourite track on the album. Full Circle is a cool little chanted song to end on but is not a song you'd play too often, with its very few lyrics. I like the 'in-joke' of lyrics about "coming round again" over and over, though. A solid album, but not their best. Jul25. Relistening for our 7Albums run on 7Rock. Fav4: Go Now, They Say, Four Eyes, Talkbomb. I can say, these are my clear favourite four, but the album has grown on me more than last listens. I upped the score slightly and added more songs to my 2003 list. 5.5/7 |
| The Copyrights |
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Mutiny Pop |
Apr24. I might be suffering from The Copyrights fatigue (as I am listening to whole discography - out of order), but this album did not do it for me as much as other albums by the band. It is an okay start with Cashiers into Weapons of Math Destruction, but many songs here are just not that appealing. There is nothing wrong with any of them - it is just that little stands out until the middle of the album where my favourites are. The run of Help Me Stay Awake, Tonight and My Heroes are all Assholes includes the best songs on here. I find this unusual on an album - to have you best tracks in the middle - but perhaps these are not other listeners' favourites. Stuck in the Springtime grew on me a little, as did two of the last tracks: Playing Dumb and Kill the Captains but none of them are close to my favourite The Copyrights songs. Jul25. I must have been fatigued; this is better than a 4/7 album. Not my favourite by the band, but man, they are so consistently good. Life Vest was a song I did not know really well that stood out on this play. Choosing four songs is bloody hard. I have 4 in my Top70 The Copyrights Songs Playlist (though I have more contenders now), so lets go with those: Fav: Help Me Stay Awake, My Heroes are all Assholes, Tonight and Weapons of Math Destruction. Appreciating this one more listening to in isolation. Very Good to Excellent. 5.5/7 |
| The Copyrights |
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Button Smasher - EP |
Apr24. This is a great 4-track EP. If it had one more song of this quality, it would be worthy of a 5/5, but going with 4/5 which equates to one point for each song here. It opens with the upbeat title track which also made it onto one of their albums. It then leaps into one of my favourite The Copyrights songs - the more aggressive Let's Get the Fuck Out of Here. I'm Not Calling You has a great rhythm, as does last track, Our Turn. I quite like the sing-a-long choruses to these tracks too. Well worth checking out. Jul25. Still a solid EP. I have 3 of the 4 tracks on my Top70 The Copyrights songs list, but swapped them around on these plays. Only for soungs, but my current order is: Let's Get the Fuck Out of Here, Our Turn, Button Smasher and I'm Not Calling You. 5.5/7 |
| The Copyrights |
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Nowhere Near Chicago - EP |
Jul25. This is a cool little EP released two years prior to my favourite The Copyrights album. Three of the four songs here are very good. Meathead is quite high on my Top70 The Copyrights song playlist and Screwin' Around made the cut too. As I have one other song thumbed, that makes my order of the four songs pretty easy. A very good punk/Ramonscore EP. Fav4: Meathead, Screwin' Around, New One then Kolmer Irons his Socks. 5.5/7 |