Tuesday, 26 August 2014

Dad Punctures.

Okay, so I'm going to wax lyrical about the S/T Dad Punchers (Warm Thoughts now I guess) LP. The puncture reference is because I learned to ride a bike last year, and during the process I listened to nothing but this album. See what I did there? 
Also, more to point. This was my favourite album of 2012, and as it stands I have a complete Dad Punchers collection minus test presses. 


This came out through Sea Legs, and the label takes it's time with releasing stuff (to my knowledge only three current releases) but it's all been solid so far. This was Sea Legs 001. 


First press. Brown /500. Bought from Sea Legs via the Deathwish inc. Estore. Deathwish have a habit of stickering their stock (top left), indicating colour and label/ release code. I can't think of any other labels that sticker stock like that, so it's a cool little touch. In this picture, the record kind of looks black, but when held up to the light it creates a transparent brown swirl kind of effect. 


First press. Purple /500. This is the other colour making up the first press which was /1000 total. Again, ordered through Deathwish at the same time as the brown. I was pretty on the ball with this release, as I grabbed the demo a few months before and was certain this wasn't going to disappoint. Also, this looks like blue in the photo, with a little marble in it. That's due to the fact that it is blue with a little marble in it. Not even a hint of purple in there. 


Second press. Forest Green /1000. Possibly my favourite variant of this album, and definitely the one that suits the art the most. On this photo I included the B-Side centre label, there's not much between them though. I grabbed this variant when Dad Punchers came to the UK with Touche Amore and Self Defense Family in late 2013. These possibly didn't pass through Deathwish as they are not stickered in the top left.


On to the design related part. The sleeve design doesn't change between the pressings so far. This is likely to change though, with the name change and bonus track(s) version of the LP coming out through Asian Man Records later in the year. I have kept all my copies in their shrink wrap due to the stickers. I'm really not good at getting them off in one piece so I'll leave them be for now. 


Enlarged photo of the sticker in the top right corner of the sleeve. The 2nd press sticker does not have any writing around it, just the Dad Punchers and Sea Legs logos. 


Back cover. Also here you can see that the spine of the record is green. Barcode, track-list, label logo, big photo of a house/ garden. That's about the long and short of it really. 


All the presses come with these glossy printed inner sleeves too. I can only assume the lyrics are in Elliot Babin's handwriting? Kind of similar to the Parting the Sea... inner sleeve in that respect. 


Other side of the inner sleeve. The only downside to these things is sometimes they have a habit of getting a little battered. Recording/ design credits and thank you's. Nick Steinhardt was responsible for art production on this release. The LP was also recorded at the same studio and by the same producer as the debut Touche Amore LP. Matt Ebert of Joyce Manor is also credited on this recording for handling bass duties and backing vocals. Sea Legs logo popping up in the bottom right corner again.


Finally, group photo. I'm looking forward to grabbing the Asian Man represses of these when they surface. This album is completely and utterly perfect. No words I write will ever do it any solid justice. 

 Change can be scary, but it doesn't have to be. 













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