In 2011 there were 2 albums that came out of nowhere for me and absolutely blew me away. I believe the reason I got The Credentials Goocher was because It's Alive Records was one of the labels that put it out (this was near the start of me getting everything on IAR sight unseen..err..unheard [there's a Traffic Street Records connection as TSR put out The Credentials first album however I didn't get that one until after Goocher]). Now I'm not sure what made me pick up Ridgemont's Colder Days, it was either because Kiss of Death put it out..or maybe I had found the member and sonic link through The Credentials (for the life of me I can't remember [it really doesn't matter anyway, what matters is that it found it's way to my ears and record collection]). The Credentials and Ridgemont were from Boston, Mass and played a gruff version of pop punk that was almost, I want to say crusty (they're definitely not crust but there's something about their sound that makes that word come to mind). To me they're cousins to the Long Island (Latterman) brand of pop punk with a bit more of an aggressive edge. Melodic, anthemic and socially conscious. They fall into that posicore sound in my mind where the lyrics aren't necessarily positive but they're striving to make a positive change in this world while holding a hand out for those that need it. I strongly recommend both of these albums, great music. A couple years after picking up Goocher and Colder Days, Kiss of Death had a sale and I grabbed the Witches With Dicks' Manual cd (2007), at the time I didn't realize that they were likely the progenitor to The Credentials and Ridgemont (Tom from WWD went on to be in The Credentials) I just got the CD because the KOD site said it was a must have album (and it is), they played a similar style of rough midwestern pop punk to the Boston bands that followed.
I picked out a bag of Arriba Spicy Ranch Tortilla Chips (65 Years In Canada Celebration Flavours) this evening to write about, I also wanted to write about The Credentials and Ridgemont. I was initially going to try to tie it together along the lines of, everyone likes ranch and Arriba decided to throw in a little bite to make it that much more interesting. They smell like tacoish tortilla chips. When I tossed one in my mouth I was met with a lot of corn and a bit of bite (almost wasabi ish bite..but it's rather faint). If I want to really focus on the seasoning I guess I can make out the ranch flavour however it's not very present. They're relatively crunchy, I'd say slightly more dense than Doritos (in other words, they're Arriba tortilla chips). Maybe my expectations were too high for this bag, I don't know, I'm far more stoked about the above music than I am about this bag of chips.
Stay hydrated,
Marc
Salty Flashback:
(I have all of these notes in my phone for chips that I've had but didn't get around to blogging about, I think I'm going to start posting them at the bottom of current posts..or not, we'll see)
August 3, 2017. (I'm not sure if these'll make a return but they were for a limited time, good thing I posted about them while you could still get your hands on a bag.) Lay's Chalet Sauce (weird partnership with Swiss Chalet [thanks for picking these up for me Rachelle]) Faux meat sour cream and onion with some vinegar tang every now and then. (that's all I noted. These actually sound interesting however the faux meat signals me that they weren't fantastic)
September 10, 2018. Lay's Tastes of America Wavy Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper flavored. (I'm not sure if these are still available south of the 49th) Smell baconish. Light crunch for wavy chips. Not much bite but there's a hint of creaminess, bacon is present there. They definitely scooped the seeds out (of the jalapeno's [yes I know this flavour is simulated]). After a few there is a mild almost black pepper heat. Almost taste like mushrooms. On the hit or miss [of] Lay's flavours I'd say they're closer to a miss..but just slightly. (sounds to me that if they're no longer available you didn't miss out on much)
ps. I had thought about naming this post after the last song on Goocher, but then I thought it might not necessarily suite the tone of the blog..but that song is a banger and probably my favourite from the album.
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