Canine 10 - Nonsense!

There have been a few silver linings to this shit we're going through right now. One of them is that I actually have time to sit down and listen to music purely for the joy of it. Back in January, Philadelphia-based Canine 10 sent me some tracks from their new album that was to be arriving in April. I dug what I heard, but then I got bogged down in real life stuff and forgot about the album for months. Fast forward to today. Nonsense!, the latest LP from Canine 10, is out on FDH Records and Suicide Bong Tapes. I sat down the other day to give it a listen. And OH MY GOD! I love, love, love, love, love this record!

I'm often disappointed in myself for not writing about more bands that are somewhat "local" to me. Well Canine 10 are just two area codes over, so that's local enough! I can see why this band might be an acquired taste for some. There's a quirkiness to the group's sound that you'll likely find either totally annoying or completely charming. Put me in the latter category. I would probably describe this band as a nerdier version of the Buzzcocks. And I mean that as a supreme compliment. Canine 10 somehow fit perfectly into the punk/power pop camp while still sounding like a fully unique band in this universe. Nonsense! is full of gut-wrenching tales of heartbreak, longing, rejection, and miserably failed relationships. You know I eat that sort of stuff up! But there's something about the way these songs are delivered that is especially appealing. This band approaches the bitter love song with great smarts and an endearing humor. And heck, if we can't find humor in our greatest disappointments, what can we find humor in? From start to finish, these songs are honest, relatable, and just really damn funny. And it certainly doesn't hurt that these guys know how to craft first-rate punchy pop songs with strong melodies and memorable choruses. The record sounds great too: with crisp, warm guitars and bass lines that really pop. Thank you, Canine 10. You've put a huge smile on my face. Cheers from the 717!



-L.R.

https://canine10.bandcamp.com/album/nonsense
https://www.facebook.com/canine10/
https://fdhrecords.bandcamp.com/album/nonsense
https://suicidebongtapes.bandcamp.com/album/nonsense