Pittsburgh, PA’s own Latecomer and Fuck Yeah, Dinosaurs! have recorded The Sauna Sessions Vol. 1, referencing the sauna in the basement of the farmhouse these tracks were recorded. This full length split LP gives us a sample of two punk rock bands who know their crafts and genres well. While each side is different in tone and mood, both sides are a great document of their talent. There’s something for every fan of punk rock between its ten tracks.
Latecomer opens their side with the Ramones-cored “Softage,” lamenting how soft we’ve all become as time has gone on; this song is short and to the point. The next couple of tracks, “Baggage” and “Realage,” are much more melodic, trading those buzzsaw guitars for a bit of crisper and serious tone. These relationship-heavy songs harken back to a 1990s punk rock sound. The buzzsaw guitars return for the very tom drum heavy “The Collapse,” a song dealing with more political and economical issues, but also logistical issues such as bridges collapsing. A cover of the Drifters’ “Last Dance” closes the Latecomer’s side, which was a bit of a head-scratcher at first but ended up being a pretty decent track.
The back half of this LP is completely bonkers. Heavily distorted with insane lyrics, Fuck Yeah, Dinosaurs! give you no time to strap in for the ride that’s ahead of you. The first song, “Numbers,” has the dino-punks imagine a world without numbers and lists the many things we wouldn’t be able to do without them. “Paleo Juggalo” is mostly a cover of the KISS song “Detroit Rock City” with different lyrics. While “Jurassic Drunks” was the title of a previously released album from FYD, the song makes its debut on the Sauna Sessions. “Jurassic Drunks” is the catchiest song about inebriated dinosaurs you will ever hear. This was the first album I’ve heard that has a seventh-inning stretch before jumping into the song “Raptors II Ellis D.” The song tells the story of Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis, who threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres while high on LSD. The last track is a full-on cover of Canned Heat’s “Going Up the Country.” While renamed “Dino Country,” I waited for the dinosaur lyrics and they did not get here. I don’t know if I’m disappointed or in awe at how fucking genius it is
Ending each side with a cover was an interesting choice that paid off in the end. Latecomer’s batch of songs are an homage to 1990s punk rock includes a cover that would fit right in with Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, but its preceding songs pull from influences like Face to Face, Lagwagon, and the Queers. FYD’s side is completely unpredictable. Culling sounds from the likes of Dead Kennedys, Dead Milkmen, and Guttermouth, they keep us on our toes by writing bat-shit crazy songs that don’t make you necessarily laugh out loud but do make you stop for a moment. The band has no qualms about how absurd their songs’ subjects are, which is why it’s so fucking good. I hope there’s eventually a Sauna Sessions Vol. 2 because this was Vol. 1 is great. The Sauna Sessions is available here.