Needle Points – Cripple Street 7″

Phiadelphia’s own NEEDLE POINTS have been kicking around the City of Brotherly Love for a couple of years now. Dressed up like they just stepped out of wormhole from San Francisco circa 1969, the self-described “Psychedelic Street Level Boogie” band have just unleashed their latest single released on the venerable Brooklyn-based PaperCup Music imprint.

It proves to sound just about as authentic as their groovy garb. The A Side, “Cripple Street,” is a nice 1970’s era Rolling Stones-informed nugget of sleaze. A great Indian summer jam replete with a neat little guitar solo at a little past the one minute mark. Nothing too deep here space cadets, but who really cares? This just feels good, man.

The flipside, “Black Hurricane,” is a cock-rocker that definitely keeps those Sticky Fingers vibes going full force. Sporting a crisp, punchy-sounding production value and kicking off with a tasty little psych-flavored guitar intro. It’s a tune that never loses sight of the hooks or melody and definitely gets some extra points for the excellent cowbell. Overall, this is a pretty solid 7″ and a nice follow up to the groups’ debut, Bom Tugangu, where they offer a more straightforward and rockin’ side of their sound. For the uninitiated, it serves as a nice intro to what these guys are up to; especially if you’re just plugging in for the first time. To these ears, it really sounds like the Needle Pints are just getting warmed up – here’s hoping we get to hear more from this band of hungry freaks.