It still takes me a bit to wrap my head around the fact that the Smut Peddlers’ Failure came out over thirteen years ago. Really? Those unfamiliar with the Smut Peddlers, let’s just say that I think that John Ransom should become ambassador/MC of Orange County punk and that the band’s songs always remind me of Polaroid pictures. They’re definitely not the most “pro” band (I say that in the best way), but they definitely capture a raw, intimate snapshot of specific moments. Those moments are filled with being pissed about yuppies fucks, PC fucks, drugs (pro, con, plus, minus, snort, needles, pills) and hostility towards the increasing safety measures that society is imposing on itself (pads, helmets, smoking bans). It’s probably the most honest—and definitely a controversial—version of lifelong punkdom that’s come from Orange County. (No one I know says “The OC” without some retribution.) The hidden engine of the Smut Peddlers is Julia Smut, the drummer. And I’m just guessing here that she’s the one behind the gorgeous and detail-oriented 500-copy reissue of this self-released record. She sent us two versions. One comes in a sewn canvas sleeve, silk-screened, signed by the entire band, on booger and old-bruise yellow marbled vinyl. (Fifty made. Check out www.smutpeddlers.net) The other is a more traditional cardstock sleeve, on purple-swirly vinyl, but also comes with an honest-to-goodness photograph of the band, a sticker, a button, and a flyer that will come out in different configurations. Talk about a band taking care of its own legacy and embracing some of the awesome possibilities that only the vinyl format can offer. –todd (Ransom)