Wipers - Is This Real?

This debut album is not exactly a new record but it might be new to you. It did a fine job of introducing Portland band the Wipers to the world back in 1980 and more than 3 decades later it still has the ability to make you sit up, smile, nod and say yes.

The band was formed by a kid who was lucky enough to possess his very own late 70's version of Garage Band - a record cutting lathe. You can imagine the enthusiasm that the ability to make your own records would generate back then. You might think this is reflected in the relatively short length of the songs on the record. It's like he just kept saying, "Okay, done. Next song!" But the really great thing here is the quality doesn't suffer. Each tune is an infectiously energetic post-punk sparkler. Stripped raw vocals with drums racing headlong through a variety of catchy, interesting riffs.

With this record and some of their subsequent albums the Wipers had a huge influence on many later bands most notably bands from the so-called grunge era. There was even a tribute album released in '92 and one of their most vocal fans were Nirvana who covered two songs from Is This Real? and in whom, I would go so far as to say, there is some Wipers DNA. But even with these props and the fact that they're great, most people have never heard them or heard of them. Make sure you have.
4 stars ****