It’s been over three years since Hostage Life released their debut full-length,
Walking Papers. It was a record
I loved,
made by people I respected, and to be a part of the mass proliferation
of their skull-bustingly rad follow-up sophomore full-length release is
something everyone at Juicebox is proud of, stoked about, and drinking
to.
The unexpected and unintended mainstream success of Walking Papers
(Underground Operations, 2006) put Hostage Life in some strange
situations for a punk rock band from Southern Ontario. “This Song Was
Written By A Committee” spent 30 weeks on Toronto rock-radio CFNY’s
weekly countdown; three songs from the record went into high rotation
on national music video channel MuchMusic; they were nominated for two
CASBYs and a Canadian Independent Music Award. To cap it off, the
Toronto Argonauts asked the band to play halftime at a CFL game. They
agreed, and the league quickly rescinded the offer after, you know,
actually listening to their record.
Centre of the Universe is a record made by five dudes who
couldn’t fathom doing anything else, and it’s why it’s available here,
online and for free, instead of through some chain in a strip mall for
$22.99. There’s a lot to say about this record, but it’s best said by
the band; visit their
MySpace and
blog to dig in to this weighty bastard of a record.
Recorded with Donny Cooper (Cursed III), this is the sound of a band
capturing the essence of their passion and influences; turning down the
distortion and relying on a little overdrive and a lot of creativity,
songs like “Paper Citizen” and “Purple Hands” combine the succinct
vitriol of the Clash with the inventive melodic structure of One Man
Army. After three years, Centre of the Universe is the exact sonic and
lyrical statement that Hostage Life had to make.
01. Bonfires
02. White Jesus
03. Shake, Baby, Shake
04. Ratlines
05. Nuclear
06. Ghosts of the Upper Paleolithic
07. Exhale
08. The Con Man’s Guide to Quantum Mechanics
09. Purple Hands
10. Paper Citizens
11. New Drugs
12. Form/Function/Execution
Centre of the Universe marks the debut of Juicebox Vinyl.
This sucker looks nice all big, and sounds nicer. If you love owning
stuff and being rad, you should pre-order the vinyl; available November
17th, all pre-orders ship early and come sealed with a kiss. But
really. Colin will kiss every copy.
VINYL PRE-ORDER