A-Frames

Neutron Bomb 7-inch

scum stats: original pressing of 300 hand-numbered copies on white vinyl. Later versions had random art for picture sleeves along with incorrect center labels, sometimes colored in/corrected, oftentimes accompanied with unattached examples of the correct labels

Hadn't thought of these guys in a while, but their drummer Lars sent an Instagram message this week and they're listed on that flyer for the first Stripes show at the Sit & Spin that we made a big fuss about in the recent episode of Striped. Made me go back and reinvestigate and ultimately be happily reminded how much I love this band.

On that White Stripes tour in June of 2000, A-Frames opening in Seattle were SO clearly the best band we encountered that entire run, shit, may be the best band I've EVER randomly chanced upon as an opener on tour. Dudes were just that good, my tour diary recalling earworms of songs titled "Neutron Bomb" and "Plastic Surgery" which were both just A+ stock punk song titles to boot.

Months later I reached out to lovable pal Heath in Seattle and asked him if that band A-Frames were doing anything. He put me in touch with Min, the bass player, to whom I recalled the songs that stuck out to me from their live performance.

"Shit...you managed to pick out the a-sides to our first two singles" is one of the happier messages I've received in my life from a band I barely knew. In short order, Min had sent me TEN copies of their "Neutron Bomb" single, for free, and I was the one-man street team in Detroit. I know Jack got a copy, Dave Buick, some girl I was trying to impress in a college class, probably gave a copy to Tim Vulgar, likely John from the Hentchmen...I'm still holding on to two copies, my wife can't remember if I gave her one as part of our courtship, so where the other copies went I'm struggling to recall.

(additionally Min sent me a CD-r of ten unreleased songs of theirs, two of which I would try for YEARS to release, but one reason or another they rebuffed and eventually they came out via other places and it makes me just the tiniest bit sad)

Anyway, the jams on this single are precise. There is not the smallest iota I would change. Brief songs, monotone vocals, deep bass, strident guitar, precise and exact drumming...just the works. Additional songs "Radiation Generation" and "Test Tube Baby" are continued quintessential titles and all equally as banging.

I stand by everything the band has ever released and may even like their "Black Forest" LP better than these recordings here. But seriously, you can throw a dart randomly at their discography and you will not be disappointed.

For me it's a toss up between these guys and Clone Defects in terms of the best punk band of the 2000's. Clone Defects probably get my vote, hometown Detroit pride and all, but the A-Frames are just that good to even be mentioned in the same breath. And yet both STILL seem underrated. Oh well.

So as I flip through the ole "A" box of 45's here at the homestead, I realize that I actually have two copies of the later pressing of this single, complete with the random cut outs from cooking and science magazines as cover art and the blacked out labels and the intended correct labels. Pretty sure I bought these from the band while they were on tour in '03 or '04.

Four copies total. Just on the borderline of hoarding.

So convince me here. Lemme know why I should give you, shit, ANYONE, a spare copy of this record. Or convince me why I shouldn't give away anything, that there's a strong possibility all three of my daughters will want a copy of these songs when they come of age. Maybe it'll happen, maybe it won't. I'm completely open to any and all suggestions here. Quarantine does strange things to a man.