Giant Haystacks

***This Is All There Is compiles 19 songs in 35 minutes, culled from various singles EPs, and split EPs by the Bay Area post-punk trio GIANT HAYSTACKS. From the self-released debut How We Lost The War EP in 2002 to the posthumous split 12” with San Francisco’s Young Offenders on 625, plus a live version of the band’s most popular song “Young Shavers” recorded live on WFMU in 2005. Giant Haystacks were formed in 2001 by Scottish immigrant ALLAN MCNAUGHTON and played 140 shows between 2002 and 2007, touring the US three times, the UK once, and making several jaunts to Southern California every year. They released two albums (We Are Being Observed, Smartguy Records, 2004 and Blunt Instrument, Mistake Records, 2005), three EPs, four split EPs, a cassette, and several CDr releases (some of which came with zines the band made). Reviewers made frequent comparisons to post-punk bands like the minutemen, Wire, and Gang Of Four, but Giant Haystacks were not really part of the revival of angular post-punk that was going on around the same time. Three affable dorks, they were more at home at an afternoon DIY punk show than a downtown NYC nightclub. Allan McNaughton currently plays in Neutrals.