AVAIL – Dixie

I'm a metal guy, but there are a few hardcore/punk bands that I really enjoy. Richmond's Avail is one of those bands. Avail combines melody with aggression, which sets them apart from the rest of the hardcore/punk scene. Avail is certainly loud and fast enough for most hardcore/punk fans, but they are also a band that fans of Social Distortion and Bad Religion can get into.

Dixie is the band's second album, and the first in the Jade Tree series of Avail reissues. It's probably my least favorite Avail album, which means I still like it more than just about every other hardcore/punk release. There are some great songs on Dixie (including the band's cover of the John Cougar Mellencamp staple "Pink Houses"), but it doesn't seem to have the focus that some of Avail's other albums have. It does show significant growth from the raw sound of Satiate, but I think Satiate had a better overall feel. Still, Dixie is a really solid album, and the 2006 reissue makes it even better.

As to this reissue - what's not to like? The album has been digitally remastered, so it sounds great. Plus, they've added 11 bonus tracks - nearly doubling the album length. In addition to 2 studio tracks from the Attempt to Regress 7" ("Connection" and "Mr. Morgan", which were originally on Satiate), the entire Live at the King's Head Inn 10" is included. The live tracks don't have the best sound quality, but it's still cool to see them collected here. All in all, the band gives you plenty of reasons to replace your old copy of Dixie. I just hope Satiate receives the same deluxe treatment someday.