Dirtnap Records
2006
Shattered
About This Album
The van accident that claimed the lives of three of the Exploding Hearts was tragic on many levels; musically, it wiped out the future of possibly the best punk band since 1977. They were one of the few bands to transcend their obvious influences (the Clash, Johnny Thunders, the Only Ones, the Real Kids to name a few) and come up with something worthy of being rated right alongside the originators of the sound. Their album Guitar Romantic is simply thrilling from beginning to end and the thought that there will never be a follow-up leaves a huge hole in the hearts of their fans. Luckily, Dirtnap realized this and put together Shattered, a wonderful and melancholy collection of rare single tracks, unreleased songs, their original demo form 2001, and alternate versions of tracks from Guitar Romantic. Taken together it is compelling proof that liner note author Fred Landeen might not be far off when he calls them "the best band in the country." The exciting and raw demo tracks (including "Busy Signals" and a slower version of "Modern Kicks," which were released as the band's first single on Pelado) show why they got a record deal in the first place. The outtakes from Guitar Romantic are looser than the finished versions but they serve as reminders as to how excellent the album is.
Track List (try tracks 2,5,6 and 7)

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