Thursday, November 30, 2017

Rat Traps / Jeffrey Novak One Man Band CDEP




Artist: Rat Traps / Jeffrey Novak One Man Band
Title: Split
Year: 2005
Label: Sonic Assault Records
Tracks: 1.) Zombies, 2.) Break It Down, 3.) Tennessee Rock 'N' Roll, 4.) Back Off, 5.) I've Lost It, 6.) No Way Out

April Novak and then husband Joe Simpson had been living in New York City for a few years when they decided to move back home to Tennessee around 2005. By that time teenaged little brother Jeffrey Novak had already become a pretty accomplished punk rock musician and songwriter playing as a one man band. With April and Joe in tow, Jeff expanded his horizons to play in a complete band with them. 


I don't know if Joe had played in any "real" bands at this point, but he played like an experienced guitarist. April seemed very new to playing guitar. Jeff can simply do it all and picked up playing drums like it was nothing. All of them wrote songs and sang. Unlike the Oblivians, they didn't trade instruments to sing their songs. Jeff sang from behind the drum kit. 

This CDR was sold on a Rat Traps/One Man Band tour in the summer of 2005, which must have been before the first Rat Traps 7" on Patrick from Shop Fronts' Your Permanent Records was released. I recall when I saw them, Rat Traps played first and One Man Band was the headliner. 

All of the Rat Traps songs would end up on vinyl. "Zombies" and "Break It Down", both Jeff songs, would be on their second 7", on Jay Reatard and Alix Brown's Shattered Records. "Tennessee Rock 'N' Roll", the only Joe song I like, was on the first. 

"Back Off" is the only One Man Band song that would be on a record. It's on Southern Trash. The other two are otherwise unreleased. 

Sample: here

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