MADISON BLOODBATH / SUNNYSIDE:
Split: 7"
Madison Bloodbath: Still life with an empty Jameson bottle. Lyrically, Madison Bloodbath has some self-esteem issues and they’re drowning in alcohol. And not “Yay! Partying! alcoholism,” but scars-across-the-liver alcoholism. And the music’s both celebratory and brooding. Shades of country music inserted firmly into the form of punk rock Hot Water Music explored, but it’s neither curdling like milk in whiskey nor hard to choke down. For reasons that aren’t so clear, even to myself, it’s been a slow, cautious grow with Madison Bloodbath, and I now consider myself a fan. Sunnyside: Jason, one of the vocalists could do stunt double work as a blown-out speaker, if that speaker sung about prescription drug abuse and shattered-glass nostalgia that can never be put back together right. The bands follows suit. It sounds like they’re battling psychosis on daily basis… all to a beat you can tap along to in a Fifteen-esque way. As an aside, the cover art’s the best Roadhouse-inspired illustrations, ever. Craig Horky’s a master. –Todd Taylor (ADD, addrecs.com)