Soft Cheek - s/t 7"

Debut single from this band featuring a couple of the Pigs (of Rik & the Pigs) doing their own thing, I think I like this more than any of the Rik & the Pigs stuff. Soft Cheek have that scrappy but upbeat punk sound that I associate with the lesser-known, more DIY bands from punk's second wave. The a-side, "Fodder" has a very Swell Maps feel that reminds me a lot of that band's punkier and less experimental songs (and dig those 16th notes on the cowbell!), but if you're a fan of chasing down lesser-known singles on labels like Small Wonder, Raw, and Step Forward this is going to be about as close a modern equivalent as you're going to find. Highly recommended.