Smoke Or Fire releasing rarities comp (stream a track)

Boston melodic punk vets Smoke Or Fire are releasing a collection of out-of-print and unreleased tracks, Beauty Fades, on May 27 via Iodine Recordings, who put out the band’s breakthrough EP Worker’s Union two decades ago, before they moved to Fat Wreck Chords for their three full-length albums. Side A of the new comp includes a remixed, remastered version of Worker’s Union, and side B includes seven other rarities, including all of their shelved Rises in the East EP. We’re premiering one of the Side B tracks, “Modesty,” which originally appeared on the band’s 2010 7″ Prehistoric Knife Fight. Singer Joe McMahon says:

“Modesty” is a song I had written years before it was recorded when I was still studying at Boston University. I was 20 or 21 at the time and it was about a day when I was 15 years old. Our guitarist Jeremy and I had bought our first guitars and started a band. My dad picked me up from band practice that Saturday and I popped a tape in of our first recorded song and played it for him. My father was never one for deep talks or heart to hearts but he pulled the car over and put it into park. “You love this don’t you? Playing music?” I told him I’m going to do this for the rest of my life. “Don’t,” he said. “Go to school, get a job, get married, and play it safe. This will only break your heart.”

If you’ve never heard “Modesty,” it’s an anthemic ripper that’s right up there with the band’s biggest fan faves. Listen below. Pre-order the comp here.

Tracklist
“Sunday Pints”
“Beauty Fades”
“50 Cent Hearts”
“Second Wind”
“Running in Circles”
“They All Go to California”
“Modesty”
“Nowhere to Go But Up”
“Hand Me Downs”
“Written to be Read”
“Live On”
“Someone Said We Flew”
“Oxygen