Brainworms deliver another split release, this time with Floridian punks and possible anthropology fans Tubers.

Brainworms' one original contribution here is "Jay's Big Date," a fairly frantic number with vague nods to `80s Dischord but with prickly, intricate guitars (perhaps courtesy of new member Josh Small, who happens to be backing guitarist for Tim Barry). In any event, it's definitely better than most of what I've heard from them before. Appropriately, they follow it right up with a cover of Rites of Spring's "For Want Of." It was recorded live, but the sound quality is just as good as "Jay's Big Date," and the band absolutely nail it. Greg is plenty frail and raspy, giving about as good as a Guy Picciotto impression as can be done. This could be good or bad depending on how you feel about bands basically copying an original song when doing a cover; I sure think it's good, at least in this case.

I keep thinking the first line of Tubers' "Coconut Thunder" is "I don't want to be a loser," and that plus the way the lyric is delivered leads me to believe it's a little Descendents-referencing paraphrase. But he actually says "listener." But really, that matters little. What matters is the song's got a few interesting moments and not much else. Tubers play a fairly off-kilter style of punk themselves -- one-to-two-minute jags that don't allow themselves much time to develop. Stylistically, it's pretty hard to pin down, and the recording is snuffed yet not necessarily lo-fi. Their vocalist also has a sort of catty, uncomfortably off-key delivery, notably in "68." I'm not really digging their side entirely, but at least it's not repulsive, and their more straightforward run for closer "Glad I Don't Know" (this time, the Lemonheads getting covered) has a brevity that's breezy and less abrupt-feeling than their other numbers.

STREAM Brainworms - Jay's Big Date Tubers - Coconut Thunder