Last Call for Superdrag...

Yes, yes. I’ve been gone for, to the Internet world, probably what seems like forever. However, last week was sort of a busy one for me. It’s hard to believe to those that actually know me. Anyway, last week was spent getting my brother his driver’s license, another Royals game (we won this time), and participation in my towns Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society. I was up all night Friday into Saturday morning either walking around a track or doing some other activity.

I am back however, and hopefully I will stick around through most of this week. I don’t see why not. One thing this weekend was responsible for was my rediscovered love for Superdrag. Yeah, the band that made that catchy hit back in ’96 called “Sucked Out” and then for most people was never to be heard from again. Well, Superdrag continued to release albums all the way up until 2002 before the band would eventually call it a day sometime in 2003. Each one being a solid release of power pop/rock with a touch of 60’s fuzz and strong melody thrown into the mix. It’s no doubt that Superdrag was channeling the sounds of past 60’s garage rock acts and with a bit of a modernized radio friendly touch. It worked nicely as singer/songwriter John Davis had a brilliant ability to write some very catchy and memorable hooks that positioned Superdrag as to being a consistently solid band.

After releasing the Fabulous 8 Track Sounds of Superdrag EP on Darla Records in 1995, the band found interest from Elektra Records, which snatched them up for the release of their debut album Regretfully Yours in 1996. The album spawned the aforementioned pop hit “Sucked Out”, which found itself in regular rotation on MTV due to earning the notorious “Buzz Bin” status. However, like most bands that would find success during the mid nineties alternative boom, they would quickly become forgotten when it came time for a follow up to Regretfully Yours. In 1998 the band released their second album for Elektra titled Head Trip in Every Key, however despite the album receiving positive reviews it wasn’t what the label had in mind and the band found themselves with little push from the label to support the album. The band would demand to be dropped for work on their third album In the Valley of Dying Stars. It would find it’s release in 2000 through Arena Rock Recordings, which would later release their fourth album in 2002 titled Last Call for Vitriol which then the band found themselves on indefinite hiatus afterwards.

Regretfully Yours:
Superdrag - Destination Ursa Major [MP3]
Superdrag - Garmonbozia [MP3]

Head Trip in Every Key:
Superdrag - Do the Vampire [MP3]
Superdrag - Wrong vs. Right Doesn't Matter [MP3]

In the Valley Dying Stars:
Superdrag - Bright Pavilions [MP3]
Superdrag - Some Kind of Tragedy [MP3]

Last Call for Vitriol:
Superdrag - Feeling Like I Do [MP3]
Superdrag - Remain Yer Strange [MP3]

It’s hard to narrow down which release is my personal favorite, however I am partial to Last Call for Vitriol. It was a bit more of a rock n’ roll affair, however each release is very good. They were one of the most quietly consistent bands to come out of the 90’s alt. era. After the split in 2003, singer John Davis came back in 2005 with a solo album, cleaning up his act after years of hard drinking.

Practically every Superdrag release can still be purchased over at Insound, so I highly recommend people check those out.