The Exploding Hearts “Guitar Romantic” 2003. Dirtnap Records. Punk/power pop in the spirit of 70′s Brit rockers like Buzzcocks, Guitar Romantic is The Exploding Hearts (Portland, OR) only release; three of the four band members died in a car accident a couple of months after the LP’s release. Pitchfork ranked the album at #60 for best albums of the 2000′s and its lead track, “Modern Kicks” as one of the songs of the decade. It’s a really really great punky power pop song: a cheeky and snotty attitude with a danceable beat. That is the spirit of the whole album – nods to 60′s pop with bright harmonies and doo-woppy woo-woo sing-along choruses filtered through a Ramones leather jacket, skinny jeans and Converse sneaker stylistic lens (see songs like “You’re Black and Blue,” “Jailbird” and “Sleeping Aide and Razorblades”). I also really like the rockers “Boulevard Trash” and “Still Crazy.” As the review on Allmusic says about Guitar Romantic: “There isn’t a weak song here, not a single one that isn’t on par with the best punk-pop. If you don’t have this album and have even the slightest affinity for poppy punk rock or punky pop/rock, you are missing out on something special.”

I got this record pretty recently; the owner/founder of Dirtnap Records recently relocated to Milwaukee and is a regular in my yoga classes. He gifted me a nice little stack of Dirtnap releases and I’m having a ball listening to new-to-me music. Big thanks!!!