Rip Smops -- the singer-songwriter formerly known as Erik Von Rippy -- has been penning songs for the past 30 years and recording intermittently for 20. The bulk of this disc was originally laid down in 1983 on a two-track tape of the same name, with Smops rerecording the songs over the last 12 years. He sings, drums, and plunks his own keyboards like a lo-fi Ben Folds, sorting through his daily life in search of something he can peg his hopes to, writing songs that vary from upbeat to downright thrashy. If he can land a couple of shows at the Grog Shop and finally share his songs with an audience, things could finally take an upturn.