Fever Kids - Homesick (Unreleased, 2008?)

For years now I’ve been trying to remember how I met Barry Johnson but we both have no clue. The best theory is that it was at the Smell in LA during high school and that we were both drunk, as that was a good amount of high school for the both of us. The first memories of our friendship I can recall are shows that our high school bands played together. Barry had a band called The English Work Standard, it was a pretty sick suburban punk band.

After TEWS Barry and a couple members moved on to form Fever Kids. They recorded some songs, played a couple shows, and dissolved before I even got to see them play. I don’t think all the songs I have here are necessarily from that band, but they are from Barry and from that time. Barry tells me that they weren’t any good, mostly because of his “shitty attitude” at the time. Sometimes shitty attitudes make bands great.

These songs are perfect reflections of where their lives were at the time. The foundation is undeniably punk, and there’s still some nerdy high school interests that aren’t fully shaken off (like ska parts, be forewarned), but it’s also that peak of emotional and sensitive music before popularity and self awareness turn it into something that’s more of a presentation.

Shortly after Fever Kids, Barry formed Joyce Manor and took a couple of these songs with him. They’ve since changed and evolved quite a bit, and I think the biggest influence that shines through is the time spent playing shows at the Hickey Underworld in Long Beach with some of the best punk bands touring the country. An example would be “Homesick”, my favorite Fever Kids song from this collection, which has an almost Modest Mouse-like quality at parts. It’s been rehashed on Joyce Manor’s new LP as “Derailed” and while it may not have the softness and broad range of approaches that Fever Kids had, it’s so much more focused and perfected and above all cool.

This small collection is a gem from our youth and sure to be a real treat for Joyce Manor fans. If you’re familiar with neither bands then this is sure to leave you wanting more, and lucky you! Joyce Manor has a new LP and is currently touring.

TRACK LIST

1. Word Problems
2. Ode to Lace
3. Stairs
4. Cassius Clay
5. Homesick

Download.
Joyce Manor's new album available here.

PS The “album art” is just some clip art I found years ago when I Google’d “Homesick”. These files jumped around between a few friends and when I finally got my hands on them to post here the image was still attached. My friend didn’t know where it came from but he liked it, so I guess it works.