Pitchfork

Despite churning out indie pop gems with manic intensity for over a decade, Stewart Anderson and his Boyracer vehicle (You're fired -- ed.) have always found themselves at the lower end of the popularity ladder, even among indie rockers. As Pitchfork's own Nitsuh Abebe once observed, they're kinda the DIY indie-pop version of Guided by Voices.

But who needs all that fame and beer when you can refuse to lose and win on your own terms? Stewart and perma-partner Jen Turrell are back in the driver's seat with a distribution deal for their 555 Recordings label through Darla, and two Boyracer new releases. The first, a brand-new album titled A Punch Up the Bracket, comes out tomorrow, February 14, and contains 21 songs in 45 minutes, which is positively epic for these guys. Guests on the LP include Ara Hacopian from Saturday People, Chuck Reutter from the Bright Lights and Martin Cannert from Javelins.

Are they trying to pick a fight with the Libertines?:

01 A Punch Up the Bracket
02 The Man The Myth
03 Second Hand Youth
04 Secret Jokes
05 The Toilets of Northern Europe
06 Insect Boy
07 A Happy Accident
08 No Tears
09 Geordie Lout
10 The Desperate Hours
11 Yr Love It Lies to You
12 Contradictions
13 Normal
14 Perennial Underdog
15 Louise (New Version)
16 Stand By Your Words
17 Yr Silent Years
18 Kids Don't follow
19 More Than Most
20 Pleasantries
21 Tactile

Tomorrow was also scheduled to bring the 555 release of the double-disc Boyracer compendium Punker Than You Since '92, but due to copyright issues, it has been pushed back to March 20. The two discs contain 75 tracks of fuzz-punk goodness, from the band's debut 7" through a 10" issued last year in a limited edition of 75 copies. (They sure like that number, don't they?)

Punker Than You is heavier on the rare stuff than the 2001 "greatest hits" collection Boyfuckingracer. And with this band, it's all about the rare stuff.

Disc One: 2001-2006:

01 A History of Snakes
02 They're Making Money Off You
03 Who Pissed on Yr Bonfire?
04 2nd Hand Youth
05 9 to 5 Style
06 Lou and Ged
07 90s Are Thru
08 On Bleached Grass
09 Sarah and Sarah
10 (It Just Fell Down the) Back of the Fridge
11 Absence Makes the Heart Grow Harder
12 Everyday Is Saturday Night
13 Pop Holiday
14 You've Squandered Yr Talents
15 Billy Three
16 Concede
17 Ghosts in Japan
18 Words Are Yr Currency
19 Warmest Hours
20 Tell Me Where My Hands Should Go
21 Good Things Come to Those Who Wait
22 Thought Even More of You When You Told Me You Wanted Me Dead
23 Louise
24 Where to Place Yr Trust
25 Yr Static Flame
26 It's a Long Way to Go to Loose More Than Loose Change
27 Fool Around
28 We Have Such Gifts
29 Temper
30 The Sadness in You
31 That Boy Yr With Is a Dick
32 Stars and Car Parks
33 Wholly Generic
34 A Chipped Tooth and Greasy Fingers
35 Secret Jokes
36 We Are Pure Chrome
37 The Man The Myth
38 Temp
39 Vinegar Evenings
40 How Many Cars Can You Fit in Yr Garage?
41 Toilets of Northen Europe
42 A Punch Up the Bracket
43 Carefull What You Wish For
44 When I Was a Blonde and You Were a Brunette
45 Now I Have Everything

Disc Two: 1991-1996:

01 Doorframe
02 Turquoise Mood
03 Yr Breaking His Heart
04 Black Fantastic Splitting
05 Yr Unspoken Desires
06 Beautiful Lines
07 I've Got It and It's Not Worth Having
08 West Riding House
09 Twisted Love
10 Tested
11 Re-Run
12 Buffalo
13 Boyracer
14 He Gets Me So Hard
15 Talk of Aching
16 Goblin
17 Meadowhall
18 Patric Walker
19 Untouched by Conversation
20 E.J.K
21 Passionflower
22 Denatured
23 Naked
24 Two
25 Blazing Fruit
26 Boxing Day
27 Wanting for All the Wrong Reasons
28 Snowly
29 Michael
30 Railway

* 555 Recordings: http://www.rawbw.com/~aelison/555/