The Ergs!

The Ergs!: That's It... Bye [7 inch]That's It... Bye [7 inch] (2009)
Don Giovanni Records

Reviewer Rating: 4

User Rating:

Contributed by: TorgoTorgo
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on February 20th 2009Purchasing this at the last Ergs! show, I was kind of taken aback that after promises of a three-song 7", they were selling a three-song 12" for $8. Mikey Erg assured us that it was because the pressing plant could only produce 12"s in time for the last shows, and I have to believe him, as they were.

Purchasing this at the last Ergs! show, I was kind of taken aback that after promises of a three-song 7", they were selling a three-song 12" for $8. Mikey Erg assured us that it was because the pressing plant could only produce 12"s in time for the last shows, and I have to believe him, as they were charging $8 for their final shows, something they could have easily price-gouged us for.

So what we have here is the Ergs!'s own Abbey Road: their final recorded songs, but not their last songs to be released. Side A treats us to two Mikey songs, "Anthem for a New Amanda" and "...And the True Believers." "Anthem" hosts a nice stop-and-start melody and rolling basslines for the intro / verse breaks / outro, not to mention an awesomely corny organ as the song hits its climax. Lyrically, Mikey is in top form, singing of a lost love...but then, isn't that the M.O. for most Ergs! songs? "...And the True Believers" is a track that could have easily fit in the middle of Jersey's Best Prancers. The most straight-ahead pop-punk song on the EP, it's, not surprisingly, the most catchy song of the trio.

Turning over to Side B we have Jeff Erg's "Piltdown Man." A song that they've been playing live since at least April, it's easily one of Jeff's best songs. It's not a stretch to say Jeff never settled for having standard pop-punk lyrics in his songs. This one uses the paleontological Piltdown Man hoax as a metaphor for finding himself. The oozin' aahs and miniature freak-out at the end is a fitting end to one of the best pop-punk bands of the decade.

Yes, you're paying $1.25 (or more) per minute, but any Ergs! fan would jump at the chance to own this -- not to mention, it has possibly the best cover ever drawn by Mitch Clem.

Login to rate this album

People who liked this also liked:

Please login or register to post comments.What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?

Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.

Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

themagnetc (February 18, 2010)

is this their weakest material, or is it just me?

PinkPenguin (February 26, 2009)

best Mitch Clem album cover = BTM! / O Pioneers split. hands down.

Torgo (February 24, 2009)

I'm sure, Mikey Erg, whose favroite band is The Beatles, would be wildly upset by the non-musical comparison I made.

Oh, and I'm also sure no one who was promised a 7" and saw 12" at a show would at least raise their eyebrow.

jsteinh (February 24, 2009)

'Taken aback'? really? you were taken aback when you got there and there was a 12" single? hopefully your mom was there to catch you from fainting at the sight of the 12" record. i'd really like some more insight into this. did you simply take a big step back, or did you put your hand over your forehead and say "well i never!" upon seeing the record?

fallingupwards84 (February 23, 2009)

seconded, the Abbey Road reference was a tad ridiculous

half of this review rants about the price like an old Jewish woman

DreeeamWeaver (February 23, 2009)

the ergs!' own abbey road?

pardon me while i choke on my egg sandwich.

nocigar (February 22, 2009)

I wasn't trying to be negative. I like a lot of their stuff, I just love it like almost everyone else seems to.

blanktapesemptybottles (February 22, 2009)

all this negativity towards the Ergs! ? Really? Damn you guys are on the wrong site.

xIxKilledxJesusx (February 21, 2009)

good riddance

14theroad (February 21, 2009)

I agree. Never got this band even after seeing them three times inadvertently. Mikey's a lot better off in The Measure (SA).

DarthNader (February 21, 2009)

i've somehow completely missed the boat on this band, is it worth the effort to get into them now that they're done?

Big_Guy (February 21, 2009)

I'm not gonna try and take away anything from this band, but I never understood why people loved them so much.

just so average

JerryCola (February 21, 2009)

The three songs on here are amazing, if only they could have at least stuck around long enough to write enough songs to put out an actual EP or another full-length.

But yeah, having to dish out the extra money for a 12" album with just three songs was pretty frustrating. If it wasn’t the Ergs! I wouldn’t have bought it.

theonetruebill (February 21, 2009)

DISCLAIMER: I love The Ergs! but I call bullshit on this release, and their VC "under the influence" release.. Oh yeah, we have to charge you $12 after shipping for a 3 song 12". Then yeah, we have to charge you $8 for a two song 7" after shipping.

Love the Ergs!, hate the way they went out, totally taking their fans for suckers for a couple extra bucks.

ding_dong (February 21, 2009)

I love New Jersey.

nocigar (February 20, 2009)

i never got the hype

mikexdude (February 20, 2009)

I don't want to leave here without you...

weaselofdoom (February 20, 2009)

…And the True Believers is a Joe song, not a Mikey song.

scientistrock (February 20, 2009)

UN-FUCKING-BREAK UP! Do it! Don't be bitches.

FaceOnTheBarroomFloor (February 20, 2009)

Call me "that guy," but can we get some mp3 versions of the songs? I bought the record, but I must listen to these in the car or wherever. I MUST!

ffwoodycock (February 20, 2009)

anyone know if they're gonna repress this on a &' if it sells out. just wondering.
also, i never really liked any of Jeff's songs but, Piltdown man was really good.

mattramone (February 20, 2009)

I was super bummed when this came in the mail. The fact that all the songs are great made it that much more difficult to let this band go.