I didn’t know of the Outlets back in my college radio days, but I should have. I’m not saying I should have known them because the Boston band was one of those that evaded my attention despite the prominence of their music elsewhere, but because I’m sure I would have absolutely loved them. On their debut album, Whole New World, the Outlets played exactly the sort of rough-hewn, punk-pummeled rock ‘n’ roll that I found irresistible at the time. Had the record landed in the station Heavy Rotation during my tenure, I would have never stopped playing it.

I’m not sure exactly how I did eventually find Whole New World. I only have a digital copy, so it was surely via some intrepid online sharer, but I have no ability to credit the proper person or even blog. It is simply one of those albums that I picked up along the way, maybe because of some especially effusive write-up or possibly for no other reason than I found the band name intriguing. That’s one of the beauties of the vast sprawl of shared music on the internet: for some us, it replicates the same sense of adventure that could come from scouring a college radio station’s library. The next slot on the playlist needs to be filled, so why not this?

Of course, the real reason I share the Outlets here today is because of that song title. It’s obvious, I know. No matter what the impetus, the song is damn good. I’m grateful to whoever out there thought it was good enough to share, letting me find it in the first place.

Listen or download –> The Outlets, “A Valentine Song”

(Disclaimer: It appears to me that Whole New World is entirely out of print, though the Outlets evidently have enough of a cult following that there are other releases that can be purchased directly from the band. If your valentine likes bruising rock of a certain age, you could do far worse. The song is shared here with the understanding that I am impeding no commerce in doing so. I believe there is no way to purchase the song in a manner that compensates both the original artist and the proprietor of your favorite local, independently-owned record store. Still, I will gladly remove the track if asked to so so by any individual or entity with due authority to make such a request.)