Found this 45 the other day deep in a box and it's been hanging around in my head like a stray cat that you only feed once and now waits for you everyday on your doorstep as you come home from work.
"Holland 1945" by Neutral Milk Hotel has been described to be a homage, but plays like a battle anthem, to Anne Frank (actually, the entire album it was spawned from, "In The Airplane Over The Sea" - which comes with my upmost personal endorsement - is a concept album based on her and her family's life).
It's got everything you need. Smart lyrics, what sounds like a huge soup drum or an insanely recorded kick drum, cymbal crashes galore, punk rock fury and epic horn. It's always about the horns for me.
I guess this shit is rare too - found a couple of them sold on eBay in the neighborhood of $50 to $70. The discography on the bands website states that there were just over a 1000 pressed. Apparently, Indie rock 45's are quickly replacing Third Guitar on want lists the world over.
Oh, did I mention that it's a picture disc and that the sleeve folds out in to a game board of some kind? Yeah - apparently you're suppose to play a game with the record based on where it stops spinning. Once it does, you move your piece on the game board according to the number the record needle is pointing at.
Now listen. I like the song. A lot (that's pretty evident by this post). But I don't know if I could listen to it on repeat in hopes of landing on a 6 to get past the Gum Drop Forrest.
That being said - heres some pictures of it and a youtube of the song.
Eat it and smile.
Side A
Side B