The thing that struck me about B-Sides + Demos is that it’s all killer, no filler. This is not one of those cases where an old band is dusting off a bunch of tracks “just because.” These songs are hits. Listening to this EP, I can say with complete confidence that out of all those almost famous later ’90s alt-rock power pop bands, Ridel High was one of the very best. The band consisted of Kevin Ridel (vocals/bass), Steve LeRoy (guitar/backing vocals) and Steve Coulter (drums/backing vocals). Ridel High signed to Joey Cape’s My Records and released its debut long player Hi Scores in 1997. A&M Records later signed the band and re-issued Hi Scores under the title Emotional Rollercoaster (that should have been the first sign that A&M didn’t know what the hell it was doing — why change a perfect title?). Once A&M dropped the band, that was pretty much all she wrote. Ridel and LeRoy went on to form Peel, and later Ridel formed AM Radio. Coulter joined Tsar and now runs one of the best music sites on the internet.
B-Sides + Demos consists of tracks recorded in 1995, 1997, and 1998. Opening tracks “Facelift” and “Mindblower” sound so much like the ’90s with their cranked-up distorted guitars and melody-forward approach. It becomes obvious that bands like this (that had mostly contemporary influences) were an important link between “classic” power pop and modern-day power pop. If we didn’t necessarily call this power pop in 1997, we certainly do now. “Motorboat” was one of the first songs the band wrote but one of the last it recorded. It’s quintessential ’90s SoCal geek rock, and it holds up fantastically well. There was a time when I would have wanted to fight anyone who put “Weezer” and “power pop” in the same sentence. Clearly things have changed. “Winona Ryder,” which the band demoed in 1995, was later used as the B-side to its first 7″, “A Mouthful Of You.” In contrast to the more power poppy material on the EP, this is vintage buzzing slacker rock and a forgotten classic of its time. Although with its re-release, maybe we won’t be able to call it “forgotten” anymore! If you forgot what it felt like to be twentysomething in the early-to-mid ’90s, this song will take you back! The lyrics are hilariously on-point in reflecting on a very specific cultural moment. Given what culture is today, I find myself missing those days.
Whether you fondly recall, barely remember, or never heard of Ridel High, B-Sides + Demos is sure to be up your alley if you dig quality power pop that will give you all those ’90s feels without sounding like it should have been left in the past. The band was wise to focus on quality over quantity, and this is a blast from the past that ought to be fully welcomed.
