The Sputniks were a punk band from Missoula, MT who released a split 7", 3 songs on the "Ram It Home" compilation (a CD comp. of the most well-known Missoula bands of the late 1990s), and one 7" of their own. They arguably hit their peak in '98 when they went on a 3 week tour and were featured in a decent sized article in The New Yorker. I've provided a link that has the introduction and a photo, but if you wanna read beyond that, you have to have a subscription to the New Yorker (so maybe get online at your banker uncle's house). Commie politics, anthemic shout-along breakdowns, and head spinning speed. Hardcore + riffrock + smart guitar work + catchiness = fucking great.
The first download below is BSSR #12 and includes all the songs from the releases mentioned above (their entire output, I think). 1-3 are from the Ram It Home comp., 4-9 are their from their "20 Minutes to the Year 200" 7", 10-12 are from their split with Charles Bronson Superstar, which was actually their first release, but I thought it was fitting to put it last so the playlist would close out with their big crowd-pleaser "Inhibitions", a song about encouraging people to move at shows.
The second download is a bonus thing I thought would be fun and pertinent to include. Its very likely the only audio of their last show, features 2 songs that were never released, and is a good indicator of how rad Missoula was at the time. ...Not that it isn't kickass now, but this shit will get some of you feeling nostalgic, I'm sure. Listen to the break during "Inhibitions"- I recorded over it accidentally- you can hear my buddy Rob panicking, to which I defensively reply that everything is fine (despite the fact that its now up for posterity to see that I am, in fact, a dumbass). ...At least it was during the break -phew!-
1. Syndicate
2. Zapatista
3. Backed Out
4. Path of Least Resistance
5. 20 Minutes to the Year 2000
6. Firepower
7. Dishpit Warrior
8. Found the Edge
9. Ballad of Phillip Nathan Johnson
10. Bat Boy
11. Racetruck
12. Inhibitions
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The Sputniks: Chad Dundas, Zach Dundas, Richie Rowe, Grady Gadbow
Front
Back
The "Ram It Home" comp. ...now $45 on amazon.com!
Half of their picture in The New Yorker...
...second half (so I can't use photoshop...you wanna fight about it?)
Grady (photo by Dawn Wilson ca. '98)
Because I said I'd post it in the podcast, verse to "20 Mins...":
"Dig it, baby, there's a red star rising/ Launch a rocket on diesel power/
The workers' state will be built in space/ From parts we stole down in Mexico."
Interesting Sputniks-related links:
The first part of the New Yorker article
An article that mentions the passing of many of the big Missoula bands
An article on the band (scroll down)
This one's about the release of "Ram It Home"
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