Wind-Ups, The

Wind-Ups, The

Confection

Dandy Boy

***The Wind-Ups (Northern California) return with their third album this summer. 11 blistering tracks of lo-fi sugar punk à la the Ramones and Spits, Confection is a cotton candy rock’n’roll blitzkrieg. Recorded to tape by frontman/ ringleader Jake Sprecher.The anxious and snarling energy of the lead off track "A Fine Pink Mist" recalls the early days of Denton, TX's Marked Men in their most primitive state. From there the tone is quite literally set; a wall of noise and fuzz-drenched guitars recalls Black Tambourine's Ramones covers EP, with a backbeat that feels like a panic attack. The result: bubblegum music through blown out speakers played at the wrong speed, noisy and demented in the best possible way.When Sprecher sweetens things up a bit for the saccharine sing-alongs "(That's Just My) Dream Girl" and "To Keep Away," Confection shows its softer and more sensitive Joey side; but it’s the midtempo spoken word duet "Cheer Up" that steals the show. A love letter to those feeling exhausted, beaten down and doubting themselves, the song radiates the genuineness, positivity and earnestness that really defines who The Wind-Ups are. Last but certainly not least, the LP closes with a rare electric guitar appearance from Jonathan Richman, on the outro of “Little Boy Blue,” quietly released in 2023 and now available for the first time on vinyl.Confection bakes the hooks, energy and non-existent production style of forgotten punk and garage bands of the past in a sentimental syrup.(STREET DATE - 7/11/2025)

Wind-Ups, The

Happy Like This

Mt. St. Mtn.

***“Are you happy like this?” Purveyors of raw power pop and punk, The Wind-Ups may or may not be curious to know. Since the release of their 2021 debut, Try Not To Think, the Northern California bedroom-project-turned-touring outfit has gained the reputation of a lights-out live band, emulating the same breakneck pace of the record. And you are damn sure to find that same frenetic combustion on their second LP, Happy Like This. Produced in identical fashion to the first album, Happy Like This finds frontman Jake Sprecher once again in his comfort zone–writing, performing, recording and mixing the entire record himself from the backyard confines of his home in the college town of Chico. Still slamming ¼” tape into the red, you’ll hear many-a blistering hook in the form of tracks like “Oh I Know” and “Tell Me Again (How Pretty I Am)” and odd-measure pushers like “Nothing But Time” and “Starting To Lose Ya.”