As a teenager getting into punk music in the very early 00's I really had the pick of the litter. The genre had been steadily growing since the late 70's, and many acts had come through and stretched the boundaries of the style defined decades earlier. At this point in my life, my favorites were that of the typical "starter bands." Black Flag, Anti-Flag, Casualties, Minor Threat, etc. These bands were in my heavy rotation.
However, my interest began to pique when I learned about the bands who birthed the genre. Velvet Underground, Richard Hell, Television, Elvis Costello, Blondie, all the classic New York acts. I started checking out these albums from the Rolling Meadows library, excited to hear the bands that created the genre I had fallen so hard for.
Suffice to say, I was very disappointed. Velvet Underground was too slow! Too soft! Too pretty! I wanted a singer who sounded like Jello Biafra, not Joan Baez! I shelved those types of records for years, and returned to listening to NOFX and whatever ska band I was into that week.
However, when I returned to Velvet Underground during my college years I fell head-over-heels in love. I finally got it. I understood what the 1970's "punk" scene in New York stood for. They were striving for diversity, not uniformity. It made me realize that, whenever I approach something new with a preconceived idea of what I'd like it to sound like, I've already set myself up for disappointment. Listening to the Velvet Underground and expecting something like Tilt is what killed it for me. I buried it myself. Knowing what to expect made me break those boundaries I set for myself, and let me really enjoy the beauty.
Which leads me to today's release, Tonight Is The Night by The E-Z Tones. Cracking into this for my first time, I expected something a little more rustic and classic. Instead I was treated to a very modern polka sound. It rubbed me the wrong way as it was not at all what I was expecting. I again buried another band for myself.
But with my later listens, these little ear-worms dug a hole in my head and made their home. Tonight Is The Night and I Love Everybody Waltz are great, authentic polka songs. Why, Because I Love You and I Love You Polka brings visuals of me spending time with my lovely fiance, Danielle. These are really genuine songs, and I feel silly for having ever disliked them. Great release here, and well worth a download.
I also want to note that I LOVE this album art. So much in fact that I suggested to Danielle that we get this as a matching tattoo.
I do need to make a note though, and this really sums up the story of my life. The first three tracks were ripped in perfect quality. I remember thinking "oh wow, what am I doing differently now than I did previously? This sounds great." Then...To The Left Oberek began to play...and the quality plummeted. Unfortunately, this is just a side effect of these old tapes. I assume the person I bought them from did not store them well. Oh well. It adds character!
DOWNLOAD HERE:
