I've already waxed lyrical on this blog about how much I love the band Warm Thoughts (formerly known as Dad Punchers), but I'm going to go ahead and do it again. I sometimes feel a little alienated on this blog. Other record nerd blogs are looking towards seeking out OG War Zone 7''s, Wishingwell presses of Break Down the Walls and all the rest of it. Whilst I love that aspect of collecting old school hardcore gems, it just isn't for me as that stuff goes for what I would consider crazy money. So here we are today, writing about a 7'' that came out a year or so ago. I was missing a colour, now I'm not. 4 variants in and around £30 spent. Not too bad.
So I'm just going to dive straight into the variants, and we'll chat about the good stuff a little later on.
Quick catch up: Dad Punchers (Warm Thoughts) is Elliot Babin of Touche Amore fame, and a revolving host of guest musicians for tour. This record was released through Jeremy Bolm's (Touche Amore vocalist) label, Secret Voice. Oh, and Nick Steinhardt did the design. And Clayton who plays guitar in Touche Amore handles live bass duties for Dad Punchers. It's all a family affair right?
This was the only colour I was missing, and scored it from a seller on Deadformat. Buying on DF is becoming few and far between for me, so this was a nice experience.
Dad Punchers - These Times Weren't Made For You - Secret Voice - 1st Press - Milky Clear /200
The other three colours of this I got at distro from Dog Knights Productions here in the UK, so I saved a bunch on shipping and got to buy records from a great label and distro. Also, you can tell this is Secret Voice a mile off from the design of the centre label.
Dad Punchers - These Times Weren't Made For You - Secret Voice - 1st Press - Aqua Blue /300
And this is the most common colour of the 1st press. Also, this is probably the one I grab more than most when it comes to spinning this 7''. I think the colours work well together, and I've probably had this one the longest.
Dad Punchers - These Times Weren't Made For You - Secret Voice - 1st Press - Coke Bottle Green /500.
This makes the 1st press total of 1000. The 1st press of the Dad Punchers LP was also 1000, so points on consistency I suppose? Also, I have taken photos of both the A and B labels in these photos if you look closely.
This record did a fairly good job of selling out quickly. It wasn't long after the 1st press was out physically that it started to disappear from the Deathwish estore (where Secret Voice set up shop), and then distro copies were soon being snatched up. So this 2nd press was made up, and this is the colour still available. I do like it when a 2nd press comes out in a singular colour. I love variant collecting; but it can be defeating to shell out on another 3 copies of a release, barely a month or two past the 1st press coming out.
Dad Punchers - These Times Weren't Made For You - Secret Voice - 2nd Press - White /1000
So here we are, on to the story and design of this record.
The record is 4 tracks long, and was recorded during downtime between Touche Amore tours. The whole approach to the release feels very DIY. Most of the instrumentation was performed by Elliot Babin. All of the recording was handled by Elliot too, in the living room of his father's house. Some lyrical content here deals with personal growth, and I suppose the whole approach encapsulated those themes too. It's pretty cool. I believe the title of the 7'' is loosely based on a Beach Boys song too.
Nick Steinhardt handled the design and layout on this release, and is quite far removed from his normal scope of work. I like it all the same, and it shows that he's a diverse dude. That head perched on the sofa kind of reminds me of the Quicksand S/T too.
Back Cover. All of the art and design is kept the same throughout the 2 pressings, and the back cover is quite minimal. You get what you need to though: A/B Side track-listing, barcode and label name.
On to the insert. Much the same with how Nick handled the S/T art and layout; we are treated to hand-written lyrics and thanks. On the LP however, the insert acts as a dust sleeve and that is not the case here. I'm happy about that mind; as glossy // printed dust sleeves on a 7'' can sometimes be a nightmare with static and stuff.
Other side of the insert. These are the rest of the lyrics, thanks and credits. It's a cool little insert and I do like the fact that it's not typed; it works way better with the aesthetic of the release this way.
Oh and finally. Money shot.
Thanks for reading!
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