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Review: Bad Sports - Red Overlay 7”

It’s time to learn about the birds and the bees, about rock and roll storks. It’s time you learn how record labels are born? [cue foggy fadeout]

The specifics: 2010, on a long drive across America’s panhandle, returning from Atlanta’s Mess Around Fest (you know that tame, wholesome rock and roll gathering…), Ryan Brush (Bad Touch) and Ryan Sweeny (Cheap Time) had an idea. A damn good idea, that is. To start a label, a no bullshit, from-the-record-dweebs-to-the-record-dweebs, gnarly rock and roll record label. Henceforth, Total BS Records began to rise from the ashes of rock and roll debauchery into existence.

Our protagonists sat around a bit, did “some dude stuff,”—according to Brush, bought some albums (ok more than some, copious amounts of albums were purchased), recorded some of their own stuff, drank some beer (ok more than some, a copious amount of beer was consumed), but you know, they let life take its course and waited for the opportune moment while their brainchild germinated. Enter Bad Sports, those Texas rockers who set the venue ablaze with their unyielding, in-your-face rock and roll. Yeah, those kids who turn any dive bar in any town into a steamy abyss from with their intense live performances; well, they wanted to put out a 7”—isn’t that what budding records labels do… they put out 7”? Hmm, the aura was just right, musical tenderness was in the air, the stars were aligned, the birds chirped, the bees buzzed, and the moon was in the most opportune solace. “What happened next?,” you ask, gripping the edge of your chair. Well, everyone started collaborating, like mad rock and roll scientists, infusing this baby with all the magical powers one needs for super awesomeness. Josh Cannonmen (Cy Barkley and The Way Outsiders, The Cannonmen) picked up the pencil and started making album art, then Bekah Cope put her eye to the camera lens and starting clicking the shutter. They were mad at work on cover art, the Ryans were mad at work on the business end, and Bad Sports were just mad at work being fucking mad musicians. The neutrons were buzzing about; these mad collaborations were producing something corporeal and that was Total BS Records. [fadeout]

First releases are like first steps or that first tooth that cuts the gum, they are just as monumental as the first chattered intelligible word—they.are.a.big.deal. And let the Total BS baby chatter! And what is this mad infant saying? “I’m fucking fierce, loud, and in your face! Oh, and you are gonna have a hell of a time taming me, Ma and Pa.” Opening with “Red Overlay”, the guitar riffs have you snapping your fingers to the beat. Then comes the toe tapping a few seconds later, followed by the head bopping, and alternating your shoulders up and down. This is called dancing, you see. I’m a bettin’ woman, so I’m gonna bet that you will be singing along to the chorus after your second listen (you can PayPal me my winnings): “I gotta, yeah, I gotta a red ohhh ohhh ohhh ohhh overlay.”

And the B side: “Stuff”. Well it’s about stuff; it’s a tour around a dump of an apartment, where records outside of their sleeves (blasphemy!), scratched DVDs, crumpled laundry, and last week’s trash all simmer side by side. You hear a plethora of musical influences: 80s punk, new wave, and of course some down home good rock and roll. There’s catchy background “ooooo’s”, in your face vocals, and guitar riffs that pair harmoniously with the drums, everyone stops playing just at the right moment, then the vocals wrangle everyone back up again. Bad Sports are dudes not to be reckoned with. You want fierce rock and roll? You want riffs that wax and wane at just the right times? You want snarly attitudes? You want rapid-paced beats? You want loud in-your-face-ness? Then these are your dudes. I’m proposing we stick them on the Presidential ballot (and this isn’t the first time I have voiced this nutty idea, ask GET BENT staff members); let the Texans into the White House!

So, what have we learned? There’s not a lot of BS behind Total BS Records, the Bad Sports are bad (in the good way, man), and rock and roll babies come from hung over road trips back home and the collaboration of friends. Aren’t babies delightful… well this one is kind of fierce. Just wait till the rebellious teen years when there will be hell to pay…

Listen to “Red Overlay” here and contact Total BS for a copy.