SIP SIP – America’s newest party band

sipsippartyrecord

Ever heard of a USB wafer card?

Ask the people at Raw Paw zine and record label about it. They hosted last Saturday’s release show for Party Record by SIP SIP at The Historic Scoot Inn with guests SPEAK, Corduroi, Subkulture Patriots, Holiday Mountain, and Flavor Raid. The new release was available either on that USB wafer card, or you could get it on gold spray-painted vinyl.

Lyrically saturated “I Don’t Want To Die in Texas” is a political statement decrying the injustice of Texas law. The most outspoken of all the tracks, it perhaps alludes to Texas cops exploiting their power and breaking up all-night jam band parties such as those put on by SIP SIP’s fan pool. In the eyes of the innocent – once an outlaw in Texas, always an outlaw in Texas. “Rippin In The Kitchen” kicks in a heavy mixing of rap and jaded 80s-whisper-singing with a literal roar around 1:56. The intensity calms down at 2:34 in trade for “Woohoo”s and freshly patterned keys.

The last track, “Summer School,” milks the American Summer School template from different perspectives. For the male and female vocal guests, “Every day was summer school,” making “love like it was cool.” For the intruding barrage of rhymers, summer school was more about skipping class and smoking…doritos. There are similar juvenile spinnings and simple drum beats to those heard in the Echo-Friendly’s “Same Mistakes.”

Perhaps my favorite track, “Check This Shit Out” rivals the artistry of a posh Brit brass band and serves an enlightened response to the politics of “Die in Texas.” The brass horns dive and bounce while an Andrew W.K.-like mob of party instigators shout, “Put your hands up!” Eventually, the keys and guitar loop into a lull as party-goers bid goodnight. It sums up everything that Party Record stands for. Give it up for Sip Sip, America’s College Party Band.

-Audrey Rodriguez