Early Times, the new free digital compilation from Rum Bar Records, is exactly what the title suggests. It compiles tracks from Rum Bar's earlier releases along with songs Malibu Lou released with his previous labels Abbey Lounge Records and Melted Records. In that respect, this is an early history and a pre-history of the best record label out there. And this will be the easiest studying you've ever done: just grab yourself a tasty beverage, hit play, and enjoy 27 premium shots of garage, punk, and underground rock and roll hand-picked by the man himself! Hearing Watts' "Flash of White Light" and The Connection's "Don't Talk To My Baby" brings back fond memories of my earliest days of reviewing Rum Bar releases (hard to believe that was eight years ago!). Also turning up are tracks from many of the label's flagship artists (Muck and the Mires, The Dirty Truckers/Tom Baker, The Cheap Cassettes, Shanda and the Howlers, Indonesian Junk) as well as overlooked gems by the likes of Los Breakdowns, The Phantoms, and ZipGun Bomber. A big draw for me are the additional selections from the Abbey Lounge (The Dents, The Marvels, The Downbeat 5, Coffin Lids) and Melted (The Heartdrops, The Young Hasselhoffs, Electraluxx, 30 Amp Fuse) catalogs. Obviously, Rum Bar diehards will be familiar with most of this material and already own much of it. But with there being 27 tracks here dating from 1996 to 2017, there are sure to be some songs in the bunch that you might have missed (as Lou puts it) "the first, second or third time around"! And for those of you who are not yet familiar with this label and its 172 titles currently available on Bandcamp, this free sampler will be a perfect point of entry. Class is in session for Rum Bar 101: just download Early Times, and you get an A!
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