#the reply

[hereforsterekcontent]

Tyler Hoechlin's mom replying to a tweet about her son knotting Stiles is ong the only good thing that has come out of that movie sxhdcdvdjxxd💀💀💀

[thosesillylittlegayghosts]

FUCK OFF

[dustedmagazine]

The Reply — The Complete Collection (self-released)

The Reply · Wake up (Socialism in E Minor)

The Reply make for a nearly perfect punk story — assuming, of course, that you reject happy endings and hate the music industry. The Washington, DC-area quartet came together in 1983 when they were each 13 years old. They rejected mainstream radio, dug the new breed, took up social justice, and got into the scene. By the time they were out of their teens, they'd put out a couple EPs, but their label went bankrupt and it was all over.  

Fortunately, their music survived, and now The Complete Collection gathers all 17 tracks into one place. The group makes sense in their original DC punk context, but they have more to do with an Americanized mod revival than anything else. The Jam looms large in their sound, but they've found new places to go. This set sounds like The Reply and The Jam each started with an early Who sound, but diverged shortly after. For the most part, the roots are visible but not intrusive.

At times, though, the influences weigh heavy. “Razor Sharp” provides a highlight, but only in spite of the fact that it sounds like a Jam knockoff (a good one, but still). The band never had much time to grow — five years or so is an eon, but not when you're still learning to play your instruments — so the set doesn't have massive diversity. Even so, it's clear that the artists were tracking down different sounds (ska, maybe a little dub) and their creativity was just beginning to blossom.  

If The Complete Collection simply dragged up an old band that almost made it, it wouldn't be worth the effort. Instead, it reveals a band that could have and should have made it (at least by, say, Dischord standards). The group overcomes its influences, mixing mod and punk starting points by sounding harsher than much mod music but brighter than most punk. “Wake Up (Socialism in E Minor)” uses memorable riff for its unconquered view on institutional oppression. “All Good Things” approaches pop rock, all while discussing a political assassination.  

The Reply might have the lovable naivete of young punk at times, but they also have its indefatigable energy. With their commitment to social consciousness and hook-filled music, the group has picked a fine time for a reemergence. This archival retrieval sounds of its time, but once the cobwebs are dusted off, it sounds less dated and more just properly ripened. 

Justin Cober-Lake

[thegempage]

vampsmooch replied to your post “hey does tumblr still eat links in the tags bcus i realized i haven’t...”

i think it gets posted in the tags okay if you put the links under a cut

interesting but i’ll have to give it a shot

do link posts or video posts work? i also use those (and if you don’t know that’s cool)

[larstheyeti]

The Awkward Yeti

[musicmajor]

look what I found!! this is so cool

[thegempage]

akitheshinigamia replied to your post: kinda wanna stream art just to say i did...

I mean, I would, but I’m also a huge Mystery Skulls fan, so like–

you say that now, but will you still be able to put up with one remix of one song for hours on end

i listened to a single song on repeat for four hours, once -- are you prepared for that