It's All A Part Of Winter

Between the near-exhaustion of its Fugazi influences and the onslaught of the jazzy forms that forever divided its fan base into two camps, erstwhile Boston act Karate made a really superlative record. I'm not ragging on what came before or after, because there is a lot of hot stuff to be heard thereabouts. Anyway, I identify listening to Karate with autumn for some reason, but I also always think about the band at this time of year, too, 'cause I saw them play the old alma mater the March after I graduated. So lets take a little time to celebrate some great songs from Geoff Farina's sometimes trio/sometimes quartet's 1997 record In Place Of Real Insight. The first is the rocker "New Martini," with a real toe-tapper of a melodic verse that demands in-car sing-alongs (and attendant in-car ad libbing from The Missus; Farina: "I Can't Remember!!" The Missus: "Me Neither!!"). The second is a sad one, the kind of tune that could get you crying in your sweater if you are walking around with a banged-up heart.

Karate -- "New Martini" [buy it!]
Karate -- "Today or Tomorrow" [buy it!]