Virginia Coalition – Home This Year

In Oz’s recent review of Wild Sweet Orange, he said that another blogger labeled us at HearYa “hard core indie,” noting that we often post some pretty obscure bands. We do, but I think it’s safe to say that I’m probably the furthest from that label between Oz, Woody, and me. I’m a sucker for music that doesn’t take long to grow on me and I’m not ashamed to admit it.

That brings me to Virginia Coalition, who just released their latest album Home This Year. I know there are some VACO fans out there and you’ve been neglected by us at HearYa. I partially blame Oz, who used to make fun of me for liking them. I personally think they’re great and could never figure out why they didn’t make it bigger. Songs off some of their older albums were so dang catchy and seemingly radio-friendly, like “Nicole’s Song,” “Green and Grey,” and “Likeness.” But their last couple albums, notably OK to Go and Rock and Roll Party, tried a little too hard to catch the energy of their live shows and consequently were spotty.

Fast forward to today – VACO’s drummer recently quit the band, but despite his departure they’ve spread their wings and create their most solid through-and-through album to date. It sounds to me like a last-ditch effort to do some damage and sell some records, and they nailed it. They nailed it like Morgan Hamm used to nail his landings off the pommel horse until, according to Yahoo Sports, “the bone spurs in his left leg made it impossible for him to tumble.” And boy, could he tumble. I will miss his magnificent tumbling. There’s nothing funnier than Morgan Hamm tumbling in the Olympics, except for maybe twin brother Paul Hamm. I digress…

Home This Year is undeniably catchy. It’s got a great beat. The basslines pound in your stomach, just like the old VACO days. The lyrics won’t knock your socks off, but they make you want to sing along and get a foot a-tapping. It’s probably not the type of music you’re going to tell your buddies about to make yourself sound cool and obscure. It is the type of music you’d recommend to a sorority chick if you were trying to steal 2nd base. VACO would probably be my favorite band if I were in college, owned a soft top Jeep Wrangler, was 3rd vice president or social chair of a prominent frat that only did light hazing, was drunk 90% of the time, and my primary goal in life was to hook up with a different smoking hot babe every weekend. Their music should be featured on every show on the CW. Does that make it bad? No ma’am.

I wish these guys the best. They’ve been working their tails off over the last 10 years, playing to crowds of college chicks and somehow calling it work. I love Virginia Coalition – there I said it. I’m really enjoying Home This Year, and I think you will too. They deserve to sell some records, and they’ve definitely earned my $9.90 on iTunes.

I can’t find any MP3’s. Here’s a cheesy video.

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