Honest Don’s Greatest Shits
(Honest Don’s)
by Scott Hefflon
Honest Don’s consistently releases some of the freshest faces in energetic punkpop. As a subsidiary of Fat Wreck Chords, Honest Don’s (insert silly slogan here, this one’s Crazy Crappin’ Clowns) collects a song a piece from their smash-selling/up-and-coming roster (and two from the then-untitled Limp record) to give a peeping tom’s view into what they’re packin’. (This sampler is available FREE with a subscription to Lollipop.) Diesel Boy start the fast and fun antics with “Sleepy Soliloquy” from Venus Envy, and appear later with “3’s & 4’s” from Cock Rock. Teen Idols sprint through “When I Hear Your Name,” a harmony-laden song from their self-titled record, and Mad Caddies keep the pace snappy with a Dixieland scorcher, “Monkeys,” off Duck and Cover, later contributing “Cup o’ Tea” from Quality Soft Core. Limp slow things down a bit with “Bag Lunch,” their first of two, but redeem themselves by blasting out “The Critic,” the final track of the CD. Anti-Flag offer up a pure punk track, “Tearing Everyone Down,” from their up-coming as-yet-untitled HD CD, and Fluf kick out the goods with “Something’s Wrong” from Road Rage. Chixdiggit crank it out with “My Restaurant” from Born On the First of July, and Hagfish keep it going with “100% Woman” off their self-titled release. Dance Hall Crashers put in an appearance with a classic, “Nuisance,” from The Old Record, and J Church stops by with “Undisputed King of Nothing” from The Drama of Alienation. Riverdales strip it down beautifully with “I Don’t Wanna Go to the Party” from Storm the Street, but as you can tell, this IS the party.
(PO Box 192027 San Francisco, CA 94119)