Kowabunga! Kid – It Ends EP Kowabunga! Kid’s witchy-weird It Ends EP is a slightly more polished version of what members of the Chambanasphere have come to expect from our premier surf-scuzz band. The four song EP clocks in at barely over seven minutes, just enough time toget comfortable in the propulsive, dirty fury of John Menchaca and Kamila Glowacki’s rhythm and the simultaneously tuneful and abrasive thrash of Aaron Shults’ guitar, and just short enough to leave the listener feeling somewhat bereft at the unexpectedly early end of the record. The standout track is, without a question, “Finally “, mostly by virtue of the irrevocable catchiness of the hook’s descending melody. The words, as with other K!K releases, are mostly obscured, but their energy prevails. This EP feels something like surfing through an ocean of garbage, and there’s something sublimely beautiful to be found there. It’s a filthy, whimsical piece of music that does a spectacular job of recreating just what a K!K live show is about: self-effacing surf punk that will leave you with a smile. It Ends might not be earthshaking or important in the grand scheme of music, but damn if it doesn’t feel good. — Kirby Jayes
Blade Runner – Journey Beyond Tomorrow
Blade Runner is an interesting take on vibrating and exciting sounds. In fact, it kind of sounds like a mix of 80’s digital music and something you hear on a documentary about Outer Space. Prior to it’s release, Blade Runner teased a shorter vison of the album called Pattern Recognition, and this is the expanded version of the release, out at the end of September. With this release, in a sense, the sounds of this take are indeed out of this world. As you keep on listening, the music continues on this futuristic journey into sound itself. If you’re interested in production with lots of electronic slash 80’s slash electric robotic funk, then this is for you. — Taylor Polydore
St. Paul’s Voltage Parade — Hello Again Imagination
The first full-length release from this outfit comes at a time where foot-stopping rock and roll isn’t a huge part of the Champaign-Urbana music scene. Sure, there are a handful of other bands in town that are driven by a roots-rock type appraoch (The Fights, Tractor Kings, Neoga Blacksmith), but St. Paul’s Voltage Parade’s focus on Hello Again Imagination is just that, and is done well. Not only that, but the infusion of other influences and instrumentation with pianos and keys, synths and samples, and even some sitar, find the album taking many directions at all one time. That could ultimately be a downfall for the outfit (lack of focus on one particular area), but overall, the release gives a proper understanding of what the Voltage Parade is all about. It’s a digestable and wortwhile release, no doubt. — Patrick Singer
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B-Sides is a monthly article designated for local albums released that might get overlooked for feature articles, but are definitely worth discussing. If you’re interested in your band’s record being featured on B-Sides, let us know at music@smilepolitely.com. Note: Because some albums featured in B-Sides are released at the end of the previous month, we sometimes bump them to the next month.