No Need to Start From Skratch for Better Luck Next Time

With the reunion of Blink-182, and their comeback tour in the works, it’s a good time to focus on a band that never really got the break it needed to become a household name in the pop-punk genre.

While I have yet to see the movie Anvil, based on the Canadian rock band of the same name, I feel that these guys encountered the same pitfall they did – poor marketing and the lack of good management cost the band their opportunity to make it big. While they have shared the stage with NOFX, New Found Glory, and Jimmy Eat World – among others – I had never heard of Better Luck Next Time until they appeared on the Blink-182 station on Pandora Radio.

After self-releasing their debut, Third Time’s a Charm, they caught the attention of InYaFace Records. They signed to the label in 2005, which is located in Tokyo, Japan. The following year the label rereleased Third Time’s a Charm as a self-titled album.

I can’t help but think signing with InYaFace was part of the problem.

Why, as a small band from California that isn’t even well known here in the States, would you sign with a label located halfway around the world? There are plenty of small but well-known punk labels here in the States – SideOneDummy, Fearless Records, Hopeless Records…the list goes on and on.

Start From Skratch, the band’s sophomore release, was released in Japan in 2007 through InYaFace Records. Upon signing to World Records in 2008 – based in their hometown of Los Angeles – the album was released in the United States in April of that same year.

Third Time’s a Charm was alright, but it’s obvious upon hearing Start From Skratch that it took some time for the band to hone their sound. Songs like “Let it Go”, “Moving On”, and “Half Past Forever” are leagues above anything on their debut. The chorus’ are catchier and the overall song structure is just better. The song topics don’t really break any new ground – do they ever in this genre? – but they also aren’t redundant to the point where someone will just stop playback altogether. Anyone who has listened to a specific genre enough can think of examples. Artists from the Singer/Songwriter and Hip Hop genres seem especially susceptible of falling into this trap.

The disc is definitely worth a look if you are a fan of this genre.

The band is currently still signed to World Records, which seems like a much better fit. They are working on their new album, which should be released sometime this year.

Click the album artwork below to purchase songs/albums from iTunes:

Start From Skratch

Third Time’s a Charm

Or, if you prefer to shop at Amazon, check out their discography in CD and MP3 format: Better Luck Next Time

Check out the song “Let It Go”, from their album Start From Skratch:

All photos, music, and videos copyright of their respective owners. Used only for promotional purposes and to gain notoriety for the artists featured.

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