Features

- by Tom Dumarey

We are very excited to stream Slow Cooker’s debut full length ‘Do A Kickflip’ in full along with a track-by-track commentary by the band. The album is a meditation on trying, reaching and falling more than landing, a celebration of getting up again, then ultimately sounding like metal and urethane on a waxed curb.

Formed in 2015 by old friends, devoid of pretense, and as a surefire way to get evicted from their apartment, the Buffalo, N.Y. band began channeling garage rock through the erratic energy of early hardcore punk. Sweaty, manic, weird punk flowing like a house party in reverse. Their sound has been compared to the Dead Kennedys, B-52s, and even “Fugazi trying to wear Bruce Springsteen’s jeans.”

‘Do A Kickflip’ will be out tomorrow via Drug Party Tapes.

'Fix it'

The opening track of the record is an affront on the hubris of unchecked capitalism. “You can fix it faster but i know its just plaster, i know the weight will fall through.” To promise what you can not promise, and the aftermath of it all. Don’t lie to me, thats all im askin’.

'Money'

Money describes a fictional peer coming of age in the era of cable news and crew-cuts.. Beginning with lines like “Don’t you want any money?”  “Don’t you want any say? Our young friend answers those questions by joining the military. The narrative continues with dissatisfaction and resentment brought by age and  experience. The character takes stock of his of his lot in life ending with “shit me out and flush me.”

'Salt and Vinegar'

Adam claimed he has eaten enough chips in his life to make it to the moon. We decided the average length of a chip is 1.5 inches. Some quick math brought us to the answer of 15,136,704,000 chips to get to the moon, give or take. Adam has not eaten this many chips in his life. His next contention was that he could make it to Rochester from Buffalo with the amount of chips he’s consumed in his life. If chips were laid end to end from the City of Buffalo to the City of Rochester you would need 5,702,400 to make the distance. This number seems more plausible as an amount consumed by Adam in his life. As we write this, Adam is contending there’s probably enough chips to make the distance to the moon within the City limits of Buffalo at this moment. How many chips in a bag?

'Bird Flu'

If anyone reading this has the technological know how to turn the opening riff into a text message sound alert please email us at [email protected]. This was one of our first songs and we thought that the opening riff sounded like sick birds. The song was then named bird flu.

'Sweat Pants'

Hike up that elastic waist and pull that drawstring tight...this song rips. It starts with lyrics describing a disheveled person resembling Nosferatu, but more hungover. The song then dives into an all inclusive seaside vacation leading to absolutely nothing. This may be the only song on the album to feature the sound of a well spun fidget spinner. All four members of Slow Cooker really stirred the pot on this one and included tambourines, falling xylophones, and whiskey gargles reinforce a feeling of an internal sinking.

'Tub Apple'

You ever bob for apples? you ever bob for apples with your friends? You ever bob for apples drunkenly in a hot tub with all your friends while you yell I am King Tub Apple? Yeah, me either. But if i did i would totally name a song Tub Apple, All hail King Tub Apple.
    
All kidding aside this song tries to capture the complete range of energy that is involved in tackling something you’re not completely sure you can manage. From the initial excitement that powers the first leg of a journey, to the inevitable doubt that creeps in halfway through, ultimately reaching the finish line (hopefully with only minor bumps and bruises) 

'Drug Yard'

“Drug Yard” chronicles activities and pastimes one may participate in while visiting a cemetery. The opening lyrics playfully poke fun at notions of romanticizing grave yards, complete with a reference to Allen Ginsberg and Bob Dylan famously visiting Jack Kerouac’s grave in 1975. As the song continues, the activities described in the lyrics become less romantic and more…well, stupid I guess. The song continues its back and forth arrangement until finally landing on a soft pillow of falsettos and a slowed tempo…as if to finally offer a condolence of sorts for previously misbehaving.

'Show Yer Teeth'

If you show yer teeth are you being polite or are you trying to establish your position in the pecking order?  “What ever you have to do to sleep at night”. There’s probably a better way to spin around the sun.

'Slow Cooker'

This was the first song we wrote as a full band in the extra room of an apartment we lived in as just roommates prior to being bandmates. This was the same apartment that had the hot tub. It’s where the magic happened. Andy made some artwork that had glitter on it and fucking got everywhere. We also still have not decided how to spell SlowCooker. Are both the S and the C capitalized? Is there a space? We’ve never agreed on this and the running compromise is that there isn’t a definite way to spell the name of the band. It’s appeared every way in most places. We all need somewhere to go when the place we complain about being is to much to handle

'Another Typo'

A clear example of all of our styles blending together in a way that surprised us. Past, Future, Present all blend, bend and distort based on your current location and who is feeding you your information.

'Worms'

Worms was the first song written for what would eventually become Slowcooker. The song is a reference to the moment it was written. At its core it’s a song about the complex emotions you go through as winter thaws. The warmer temperatures that provide sweet relief from the bitter cold but ultimately lead to the melted snow that becomes the puddle you step leaving you with a cold wet sock while getting some beer at the corner store before writing a song in a garage in early April inside of a garage in Buffalo N.Y.