Proper Smoker

Description

Proper Smoker, the debut LP from indie-supergroup Blunt Bangs, is proof that power pop remains perennial. Boasting a lineup that includes Reggie Youngblood (Black Kids) on guitar and vocals, Christian "Smokey" DeRoeck (Woods, Deep State, Meneguar, Little Gold) on guitar and vocals, and Cash Carter (Tracy Shedd, The Cadets) on drums, Blunt Bangs' debut melds the canon of 90s indie rock with a spark of optimism for these uncertain times.Following a move to Athens, GA from Jacksonville, FL, Youngblood and Carter settled into the storied scene and recruited veteran song slinger DeRoeck (who had previously moved to Athens following his tenure in Woods) to round out the band's central songwriting unit. If the result is a tightly-spun collection of hooks that sounds like longtime friends making music for themselves with the hope that others would also enjoy it, that's by design -- that was precisely Blunt Bangs' plan all along. As Carter attests, "This band gives me the opportunity to play music with my friends that I would love listening to. We made a record we wanted to hear."While members of the band have earned their stripes in critically-lauded projects, the record also owes some of its polish to seasoned producer/engineer Drew Vandenberg, whose prior credits include works with Of Montreal, Drive-By Truckers, Toro Y Moi and more."Reggie and Christian both bring something different to the table as songwriters and how they approach music, but they complement each other perfectly," says Vandenberg of making Proper Smoker. "Reggie is meticulous, Christian is instinctual. Then you throw in Cash's enthusiasm and energy behind the kit and it makes something special."The record took shape as Carter assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer at Kindercore Vinyl, a record pressing plant in Athens he co-owns with Dan Geller and Ryan Lewis, the duo at the helm of legendary indie label Kindercore Records. Youngblood began working at the pressing plant in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, giving the band creative licen