Song of the Day: Bullet Lavolta, “Rails,” from Swandive (RCA, 1991)

I can't recall how I got into Boston, MA's Bullet Lavolta. I think someone from that area either burned me a few tracks or recommended I check 'em out, and most of their CDs were super cheap on Amazon at the time (as is often the case with overlooked gems). So, I bought pretty much their entire discography in one shot, and that was that.

"Rails" is the opening track from their final album, Swandive—which was released by RCA right around the time of Nevermind (Bullet Lavolta even opened for Nirvana back then, too) and is listed amidst Dave Jerden's impressive production résumé. From those first listening sessions, "Rails" has always been one of my favorites from the band—its bursting energy perfectly exemplifies their unusual mix of influences: loose, angular riffing and ringing melodies; killer vocal harmonies and an infectious chorus; etc.

It rocks hard (check out that blazing solo), but Bullet Lavolta was more than just any old "alternative rock band." They boasted hardcore/punk energy and hard-hitting oomph, occasionally flirting with lightly metallic tinges, and were all of the above—yet none of the above, in a sense.

In a rare move for underrated major label "bargain bin" gold, Swandive has been made digitally available on iTunes and such, but... you can still get the CDs for astoundingly dirt cheap prices, so why settle for mp3 files!?