2:59

In 2003 New Bomb Turks vocalist Eric Davidson assembled a compilation for the ever hip Gearhead Records of some of his favorite recent garage-punk tunes. In my mind the record is absolutely essential and a must for anyone looking for a taste of the modern bands in this genre that exist outside the major label hype junket. The full lineup includes the Cuts, Baseball Furies, Mystery Girls, the Hunches, Lost Kids, Colombian Neckties, Chargers Street Gang, Rock ‘n’ Roll Soldiers, Goddamn Gentleman, Blowtops, High Beams, Gypsy Witch, Geraldine, Exxon Valdez, the Diverters and Scat Rag Boosters. To tell the truth I didn’t know about most of those bands outside of the Hunches and Baseball Furies, but the record flows beautifully and the bands have enough of their own character that, while in the same basic genre, they keep things interesting.

Among the tracks is a song from Columbus, Ohio’s Gypsy Witch and Oakland’s the Cuts. “Hign ‘n’ In” is just a wild hard rock tune that’s as garage as it is cheesy metal, while “How Can I Get Through” unabashedly lives (and thrives) in a 60s pop bubble.

The Cuts - How Can I Get Through

Gypsy Witch - High ‘n’ In