NOFX
- The Longest EP (Fat Wreck Chords)
In 30 songs and in a little bit over an hour’s
worth of time, prolific punk band NOFX take you
on journey through their career from 1987 to 2010
via their compilation tracks, various 7-inch records
and other rare goodies serving as a continuation
of their 2002 release 45 or 46 Songs That Weren't
Good Enough to Go on Our Other Records. Chances
are if you are an avid NOFX listener, you have heard
most if not all of these tracks before; but this
is also the first time that many of these songs
are available on CD, so for all the new-age mp3
collectors, this is a great way to complete your
NOFX mp3ography. This release is cool because it
puts some of my favorite NOFX songs onto one CD,
be it “Stranded” from The Longest Line,
“You’re Wrong” from Never Trust
A Hippy, the acoustic version of “My Orphan
Years” from Cokie The Clown (which is a million
times better than the album version,) and “Shut
Up Already“ from The P.M.R.C. Can Suck On
This. However, as this is a collection, I find it
very appropriate that the artwork for this release
is a collection of sorts as well, combining all
of the characters featured on their other album
covers into one. The Longest EP may not be the best
starting point for a new NOFX listener, so for them
I’d recommend their greatest hits album The
Greatest Songs Ever Written By Us. In summation,
this is another collection of songs you probably
already own, but hey, at least it isn’t another
live album.
STEWART
– Kicks
(stewarttheband.com)
Stewart is a pop punk band from New York who I
have never heard before even
though they have been a band for around 5 years
now and I live in the same area as them. However
I have seen their logo before and in numerous places
which is weird because I can’t remember where
or why, so when I got this album I wasn’t
quite sure what to expect but immediately after
putting it on I was relieved to find out that Stewart
is in fact a super sweet female fronted band who
play poppy summer hits which, if you know me is
right up my alley. It is the kind of cool, accessible
music that has people of all ages and backgrounds
tuning in. From sophisticated thirty-somethings
to surly teenager to even hip grandparents rocking
a digital
hearing aid -- everybody
can appreciate this music. The opening track “Dance
With Me” is probably my favorite on the album.
CAUSE
A SCENE: Volume 1 NY & NJ Punk (Bright &
Barrow Records)
Most of these tracks are already released but there
is a fairly good chance you might discover a new
band or two you’ve never heard before. However,
as far as this album representing a “scene,”
let me say this: Living in New York all my life
and frequenting many punk shows, I have only heard
of less than half of these bands, so I am not quite
sure what scene we are talking about here. Then
again, the album does make its point of exposing
new bands. I just hope that this disc gets distributed
thoroughly and word gets out about some of these
bands, because the tracks from bands such as Project
27, House Boat, The Tattle Tales and The Measure
(SA) will blow some new listeners out of the water.
My main complaint is that this compilation wasn’t
mastered together. It would have flowed much better;
instead I feel like someone’s iPod is on shuffle
and I am constantly adjusting the volume. All in
all, this is very reminiscent of the D.I.Y. “Shut
Up And Do It” compilation of New York and
New Jersey bands from a few years ago, or even Crafty
Records’ “NY vs. NJ” compilation;
but the more word that gets out the better.
THE
CREEPS - Follow You Home (It’s Alive Records)
Ottawa has recently put itself on the map of pop-punk
havens placing alongside cities such as New York,
Minneapolis and Gainesville. The main reason for
this is the multitude of great bands coming out
of the area and delivering some of the most heart
felt pop punk one is to hear. The band leading the
way is The Creeps, who over the years have released
a handful of different releases on different labels
and different formats; but with their latest 7 inch
record on It’s Alive Records, The Creeps prove
that they are no joke and that they are here to
stay. With their pop harmonies and their dark three-chord
rhythms, their sound is reminiscent to that of The
Lillingtons or even times Ottawa’s other kings
of pop punk, The Riptides. All four of these tracks
are guaranteed to satisfy - however for me the standout
track is “Ready Roll,” with the title
track a very close second. This release comes heavily
recommended from me and I also insist that you check
out some of their back catalog as well, including
their split with Fear Of Lipstick and their 2008
full length Lakeside Cabin.
GOOD MEN DIE LIKE DOGS (Tortilla Chip Records)
Coming from Arizona, Good Men Die Like Dogs is
a pop punk band that comes jam-packed with gang
vocal singalongs that are undoubtedly going to have
you yearning to see them live so you can throw your
arm around the drunk sweaty dude next to you and
scream along to the catchy tunes. An easy comparison
would be to other Tempe, Arizona inhabitants and
recent up&comers Rumspringer or even to recent
Epitaph Records signing Off With Their Heads. I
simply cannot get enough of the last track “Westbound
10,” which is kind of cool since the rest
of the album serves as one big build up that never
lets me down. This release is worth it for the awesome
black and white half and half vinyl that it comes
on but there is no doubt in my mind that this Good
Men Die Like Dogs release will be on your turntable
for a very long time after purchasing it. It is
that good.
THE
CHALLENGED - Loaded Language (Rally Records)
Living in New York I got to be quite familiar with
the Challenged and have developed a great deal of
respect for them. The Challenged are a band that
seem to never say to no to a show no matter where
or with whom, they just show up, set up and rock.
I also respect the Challenged for being a three-piece
band and still having a full explosive sound that
hits you like a ton of bricks every time they play
a note. Well, anyway years ago I saw The Challenged
in a small bar in Brooklyn and they gave me their
demo CD and I instantly became obsessed with a song
of theirs called “Blank Ammunition”
ever since then I have been waiting for a new batch
of recordings. Now it’s close to five years
later and they are releasing their debut full-length
album full of punk rock anthems in the vein of Pinhead
Gunpowder, which is so well written and well produced
that you feel like you are in their practice space
with them going through the same emotions that lead
singer Rob Suss is singing about. This CD should
make plenty “best of” lists come year’s
end, I know it will be on mine. Best part of the
album for me is “Hook, Line and Sink Her”
which has not only became my new favorite Challenged
song it is also one of my new favorite punk rock
songs of the past 10 years, and has found its way
onto plenty of mix tapes and play lists that I have
made since receiving this album. The album rules,
the album art rules and The Challenged rule, you
cannot lose.
THE NEW 45 - “I Think You’re Neat”
(Knowhere Records)
My band The Boys Club was supposed to play with
The New 45 twice (once in Brooklyn and once in New
Jersey) and unfortunately we were not able to make
either show which is extremely disappointing because
the vibe I get from this release is that they would
be tons of fun to watch live. The New 45 are a band
from central Maine who play a familiar brand of
pop punk similar to that of some of the old Mutant
Pop bands, which comes off as snotty, sloppy and
simple which when combined properly gives you one
heck of a fun pop punk album. The only unsettling
quality of this album for me is the mix, it doesn’t
seem to be as powerful and hard hitting as it should
be, however I think some of the songs make up for
this such as “Candice Bubblegum” which
is a fun poppy song that gives you exactly what
you think of with a title like that as well as “I
Wanna Suck Your Blood”, and their cover of
The Outfield’s “I Don’t Wanna
Lose Your Love Tonight” is fun and I bet makes
for one of the greatest sing-a-longs during a live
set.
THE
DOPAMINES - Expect The Worst (Paper + Plastick)
To be honest the title of this cd - Expect The
Worst - seemed appropriate at first because I really
wasn’t expecting much out of this one. When
The Dopamines first started out they sent me a demo,
which I thoroughly enjoyed and made my hopes for
the band really high; however when I purchased their
debut album, I was left with a feeling of confusion.
The songs seemed to be lacking and the singing patterns
seemed like ill advised Blink-182 rip-offs, and
the one song I enjoyed most had the exact singing
pattern of a Toys That Kill song. This didn’t
deter me fully; I then bought their “Soap
and Lampshades” 7-inch and enjoyed the title
track enough to not write them off completely. I
then bought their two other releases and don’t
remember listening to them too often, or at least
not their side of the split releases. Any time their
names came up in conversation I was immediately
told how wrong I was in my assessment of this band
and I always tried to shrug it off and say that
if I saw them live, I am sure my perception of them
will change because the simple songs do make for
fun filled singalongs, so I always had that hope.
However, when I received their latest effort in
my mailbox to review, I was pleasantly surprised
by how much they have grown as a band and how much
their Midwestern sound has developed. Chances are
if you have heard the Dopamines, you probably already
love them; however this album is good enough to
restore faith in me, one of the biggest doubters
out there. I have became an instant fan of the opening
track “HorseCop,” which I have had on
repeat for long stretches at a time and have used
on a recent mix tape. The dual vocals seem to mix
more fluidly, and the production is as smooth as
it can be for a punk band without making them seem
like they are auditioning for MTV. A much recommended
buy for fans of fun punk rock.
HARVEY
MILK - A Small Turn Of Human Kindness (Hydra Head
Records)
How does heavy metal still exist? Who listens to
this junk? With songs averaging in the 5-minute
range, it’s amazing anyone has the attention
span to sit through slow Pantera riffs and horrible
vocals for that long. The descriptive text on the
press sheet says “The seven songs so subtly
bleed together” and I agree some extent because
it all sounds the same you can’t tell when
one song ends and the next begins. You can hear
better riffing at your local Guitar Center.
THE KYLE SOWASHES - Nobody (Anyway Records)
With a hint of Americana and pop, The Kyle Sowashes
deliver an album that sounds like the hybrid baby
of The Hold Steady, The Gaslight Anthem, Jimmy Eat
World and Weezer. The only problems are that this
release lacks the hooks that the aforementioned
bands capitalized and got popular on. The vocals
at time sound like the guy from Pansy Division,
which I am getting a kick out of. Good background
music I suppose, but I wouldn’t go out of
my way to listen to this band, especially with such
a horrid name.
THE
TRANSGRESSIONS / THE SIDE PROJECT - “Stop
Wasting My Time” 7 inch EP (Traffic Street
Records)
When split releases come out, I rarely enjoy both
sides and here I was expecting the same thing. I
had previously heard both bands and have become
a big fan of The Transgressions through their previous
release on Rally Records (whose artwork has been
parodied for this release, and looks great;) I had
a release or two from The Side Project, but to be
honest, they never really got much play time except
for the “New Brain” 7 inch that had
a song or two I enjoyed, along with their song about
Jurassic Park. As expected, the Transgressions side
rules here, with their song “Kidney Stones”
being the standout track of the three. I don’t
know what it is about them but I cannot get enough
and I am super excited to see them live when they
tour this fall. The Side Project kind of surprised
me because I liked it more than I expected to. These
songs are so much better written than their previous
efforts. The first track on their side “20/200”
is my favorite out of this batch and I think by
putting this together with their last 7 inch, they’d
have one pretty good release; but regardless, these
songs have given me something more to look forward
to from this band, because I am sure they will continue
to get better with every release.
THE
GOD DAMN DOO WOP BAND / VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL -
“Covered” 7-inch EP (Traffic Street
Records)
The God Damn Doo Wop Band are one of the most unique
and amazing bands out there today. Their sound can
be intuited from their name, but the way in which
they craft their songs and nail the harmonies is
an art form. I was lucky enough to see them when
they toured in support of their debut album years
ago and it was amazing. Vacation Bible School is
a band which I’ve only really listened to
and enjoyed their covers, be it on this release
covering the GDDWB or on their tribute to the Vindictives
(one of my favorite bands), so I wasn’t quite
sure what to expect. The premise for this release
is that each band contributes one new song and a
cover of the other band. The God Damn Doo Wop Band’s
original song for this release might be one of my
favorite songs of 2010 called “Menage A Prom”.
The harmonies they add to the VBS cover make it
a fun listen as well. Vacation Bible School do a
great cover of one of my favorite GDDWB songs which
is cool but even cooler is their original - I am
surprised how much I enjoyed it. Vacation Bible
School sound great on this release but by far the
standout is The God Damn Doo Wop Band.
MAKER
– “I-91” EP (Animal Style Records/Either
Or Records)
I have never heard of this band before but I wish
this came out years ago when I was still listening
to the likes of Saves The Day and Lifetime, because
I am sure this would have been a staple then. The
songs are good but this sound seems a little tired.
I guess there is still a calling for this style
of pop punk; but I mean, if I am going to listen
to this sub genre of it you can bet your bottom
dollar that it would be “Can’t Slow
Down”/ “Through Being Cool”-era
Saves The Day.
JUNIOR BATTLES – 7-inch EP (Square Up Records)
A friend of mine, Greg, the owner of Merman Records,
recommended this Canadian band, which I thought
was kind of weird since I don’t really listen
to anything like this anymore. Junior Battles are
a pop punk/melodic hardcore band and I don’t
know what made Greg think that I would like this…
but man, he was spot on. I loved this 7 inch from
the moment it hit my record player. The guitar work
is outstanding, the dual vocals are great and the
lyrics are actually intelligible. “Major Label
Bidding War” is my favorite song with its
vocal line of “throw your friends in front
of moving trains…” I cannot recommend
this release enough; basically if you like any sort
of punk rock, chances are you will find something
you like in the Junior Battles. And hey, if you
are not willing to spend the money to take a chance
on a band you’ve never heard of before, you
can download this release for free at ifyoumakeit.com
but try to donate a buck or two and if you really
like it, buy the 7 inch, the grey splatter vinyl
looks great as does the cover art.
Delay
- Plain Language LP (Salinas Records)
In 2007 when I first heard of this band I
was relieved and excited to see that a bunch
of kids around my age were out their playing
music and living out most teenagers dreams
of touring. There is something more endearing
about watching a band that is in your age
range rather than watching a bunch of tattered
and torn rock stars. The best part about it
was that their music was excellent too! For
a three piece they fill out their sound incredibly
and the energy that they bring; forget about
it, there are few better. So as they progressed
I continued to follow them; seeing them on
tours, buying their releases, wearing their
pin on my guitar strap. So when I heard they
were to be releasing a new album I was immediately
overjoyed and couldn’t wait for the
release date, and this release did not disappoint.
The song writing has gotten better, the musicianship
has improved and gotten better, the lyrical
content which was always great continued to
develop and Delay came through with another
outstanding release. If I had to pick a favorite
track on this it would undoubtedly be “Hairband”,
a track that has been used on many mix tapes
and play lists that I have created since hearing
it. My one and only criticism is a minor one,
that would be the recording quality, although
it is much better than previous releases and
still sounds great I just kind of wish that
the production would be a little bit better,
I think that would put it over the top for
me.
Victor!
Fix The Sun - “Person Place Or Thing”
(Friction Records)
First thing first, this vinyl is beautiful,
nice dark red thick vinyl. I’ll be honest,
just by the name of this band and the album
artwork I kind of figured I wouldn’t
be too crazy about this record, and although
I was right there is still positive to speak
of. The vocals are what ruins it for me, I
can’t take the mix of spoken to screaming
vocals. The positives here would most definitely
be the guitar and drum work. The fast paced
guitar licks and the driving yet creative
percussion makes me wish there was a different
vocalist, however, I am not quite sure if
the type of vocals I enjoy would work with
this style of Fugazi like instrumentation.
Yet again this is another record that sounds
very full for a three-piece band and that
is something I will always tip my hat to.
Kamikaze
“The Spirit Of Battle” (Soul Rebel
Records)
Kamikaze another band featuring Fid of The
Measure (SA), and they are band I am familiar
with through the Rights To Assemble Compilation
LP and truth be told they were not a band
that stood out to me. If I had heard this
band while I was in high school I’d
most likely go bonkers over them but over
the past five or so years I have nearly phased
out the listening of all hardcore bands so
this sound doesn’t really register for
me anymore. But what it is, is fairly brutal
hardcore that is stripped down to its core.
The one thing that sets this band apart from
the other hardcore bands that I used to listen
to is that they do an excellent job arranging
their songs to make it unpredictable and I
think that is a key element to this sort of
thrashy music.
The
Loblaws / Sci Fi Nightmares “Split”
(Killer Records)
Last year my two favorite 7 inch records
were produced by these two bands individually
so when I found that Killer Records was going
to release a split record between the two
bands I almost lost it. I feel like Killer
Records caters solely to my tastes since I
am a huge fan of each and every of their releases,
but putting these two different styled pop
punk bands on one piece of vinyl was genius.
The Loblaws, a summery, poppy band that brings
those sweet harmonies over their fun, smile
producing songs contribute two songs that
will you not be able to get out of your head
for weeks. “Watch Out For Me”
is one of my favorite tracks of the year and
this has been an excellent year for punk music.
On the other side we have The Sci Fi Nightmares,
a band who reminds me of The Manges but go
way beyond that sound by adding to it and
eventually perfecting it. “Death Follows
Her” is one of the catchiest pop punk
songs I have heard in quite some time and
the other track that they have on her is no
slouch neither and always has me singing along.
In my point of view this is the perfect record
and you’d be greatly missing out if
you did not own this. There are three color
variations of this record and I own them all.
Aren’t you jealous? Well you should
be!
The
Tarjas / The Chromosomes “Split”
(Killer Records)
I haven’t heard of either of these
European pop punk bands before but they are
both toe tappingly great. I have no idea what
language the Tarjas are singing in but one
of the tracks is The Ramones “The KKK
Took My Baby Away” (or “Karpon
Hannu Mun Tyttoni Vei”) in their native
language which actually really fun to listen
to. I wish I knew what they were singing but
its fun enough to make up words in my head
for now. The Chromosomes, an Italian pop punk
band that reminds me a little bit of Ruth’s
Hat meaning that they are obviously heavily
influenced by The Ramones, The Beach Boys
and have a cool rock n roll sound mixing it
all together. All in all, this is another
great release by Killer Records hopefully
getting the names of these great European
pop punk bands names onto record players all
around the world.
Snuggle!
/ No High 5s To Bullshit “Split 7”
(1234 Go! Records)
Here is a split with two bands I never listened
to before but sure have heard a lot about
each band. It seems like all the people I
talk to are really into at least one of these
bands so I was very excited when I got the
chance to give it a spin. Snuggle kind of
remind me of The Monikers who are one of my
favorites of the genre however it seems like
something is missing with these Snuggle tracks.
I think the music is too generic for me but
the vocals help me forget. I also wish “Comin’
Up Aces” was a bit faster. In the end
I really do enjoy both of these songs and
will eventually look into hearing more from
this band. No High 5s To Bullshit are fairly
similar to Snuggle but not as memorable. I
was actually little more excited to hear this
band since it features members from The Shorebirds
but what could ya do? If you have a beard,
attend the No Idea fest, wear a lot of flannel
and worship Dillinger Four you may already
own this record, if you don’t and you
fall under one or more of those categories
do your self a favor and check this out, you’ll
probably like it more than I do.
Deep
Sleep - “Three Things At Once”
(Grave Mistake Records)
About five or six years ago, I went through
a phase where I was all about certain hardcore
bands. Mostly the type of stuff that stayed
true to the old school formula that bands
like 7 Seconds set fourth for us. Bands like
Bane, Champion and even Modern Life Is War
were amongst momentary favorites, you know
that no frills, rarely any breakdowns hardcore.
It is in the breakdowns I lose interest. Deep
Sleep deliver exactly that, fast, heartfelt
songs that get to the point and end before
you even know what hit you. Man I love it!
The only thing is that as the title proclaims
it is three things at once, which includes
their material from the “You’re
Screwed” 7inch, “Manic Euphoria”
EP, and the “Paranoid Futures”
EP. All of which I previously own, so not
much new material here for me, but if you
are missing any of those great dynamic releases
from this Baltimore band, picking this up
should be a no brainer. Also, try to see this
band live they completely blew me away this
summer when I saw them.
Into It. Over It. - “52 Weeks”
(No Sleep Records)
Wow this is a great concept for a CD, or
double CD I should say. A man with a guitar
and some recording equipment writes and records
one song a week for 52 weeks and what you
get are 52 different songs covering the vast
array of emotions. The music is directly up
my alley but is definitely well put together,
for fans of Brand New, Piebald and Alkaline
Trio. My favorite part of this release is
the booklet, it is very well put together
and has lyrics to all the 52 songs and little
pictures and diagrams to fill the voids. Great
job, I only wish I could get into the songs
a bit more.
Le Face “Isolation” (Dead Beat
Records)
Oh man! The instrumentation was sounding
so good until those vocals came in. Its like
a 30 year old man trying to front a Germs
type punk band but his voice cracks like he
is going through puberty. Man, I hate instrumentals
but I kind of wish this was one. Great song
titles though, “Urinating Feet”
& “Christian Cunt” among others.
Get a new singer guys!
Mac Blackout “The Rabid Babies”
(Dead Beat Records)
What do you get when you have a bad Jay Reatard
impersonator fronting a middle school rock
band with amateur Devo styled synth? You get
Mac Blackout with their album “The Rabid
Babies” on Dead Beat Records. This is
terrible, in the first song he must have said
“It’s the year of the rat”
over fifty times. There is no excuse for this.
Not pleased, I’ll have you know that.
Stigmata
“The Wounds That Never Heal” (I
Scream Records)
Just by looking at the name of both the band
name, the title of the record and the artwork
I could tell you I would not like this. It
is sludgy metal with tons of riffing and double
bass drumming. The lyrics are all cheesy and
cynical. If you like listening to bad music
and being depressed this album is for you.
Fed Up! “Live At CBGB” (United
Riot Records)
Gotta love New York Hardcore! (Please not
my sarcasm there). Before the first song even
begins the singer begins a rant that starts
like this…“Good to see all the
skins here nice and early, drunk, high, whatever…”.
In between every song he proclaims either
“Old school” or “Skin Head”
like it means something. The first two tracks
are titled “Sick Fucks” and “Bitch
Slap” respectively and they are both
equally as horrible as the rest of this CD.
For fans of other NYHC bands such as Madball
or Agnostic Front I guess? Oi Oi Oi!
Transit
“Stay Home” (Run For Cover Records)
Transit, the newest version of that melodic
hardcore scene out of Boston deliver a six
song ep that comes straight from the playbook
of Set Your Goals. Completing the mix of screaming,
chanting and singing this band seems to be
a carbon copy of all the bands before, the
only difference is that their drummer is actually
really good but proves to be way too busy
at times, especially over the run of the mill
guitar work. I swear I have heard the opening
to this first track before, it sounds exactly
like that other song, but I casn’t put
my finger on which one it is. If you can figure
it out please get back to me. If you like
bands like Set Your Goals, A New Found Glory
and all of those others this is probably a
great album and will be right up your alley.
If not this is a pass.
CarCrashLander “Mountains On Our Backs”
(Jealous Butcher)
I have no idea what to expect from this,
starts off a bit hectic but then slows down
to a slow crawl with a flowing bass line and
almost spoken lyrics. I can’t tell if
I hate this or if I am indifferent towards
it. There is no doubting that they are good
at their instruments, but the songs just are
not interesting or captivating. I can’t
even label this into a genre, what is it?
I do not know, nor do I care much. Also there
is never a need for an opening track to be
over eight minutes long. You hear me? Never!
Frankenstein
3000 “Where Do We Go From Here?”
(Main Man Records)
I have had enough of this cheesy rock n roll
crap. If you aren’t going to do something
new why bother. Every song is a sub par version
of an older song, no hooks what so ever, what’s
the point? Also the embarrassing cover of
Elvis Costello’s “Green Shirt”
was a bad idea, but I’ll pretend that
didn’t really happen.
The Cold Beat “Dumbwaiter” (Self
Released)
What do we have here? Is it Boston’s
answer to The Replacements? Maybe. Simple
songs with heart felt lyrics spit from the
mouth of a Bostonian with a sad story to share.
The only problem here is that they are not
The Replacements and no matter how much I
can enjoy this I will always crawl back to
my record player to give “Sorry Ma”
its weekly spin. There is an ex-member of
the Jade Tree band Lock and Key somewhere
in this band, to him I’d like to say
sorry dude, but I think I like Lock and Key
much better. Not a bad album, just not great,
but I do know I’d love to watch this
band rock out in a small bar, that I can tell
would be excellent.
Sea Sick Music “Shark Speed” (Self
Released)
By the looks of the cover and the band name
I was expecting this to be a speed metal album.
Boy I could not have been anymore wrong. The
album opens with light horns for a few stanzas
and then the rest of the band comes in accompanied
by Dent May sounding vocals. I didn’t
know Utah was now in the United Kingdom and
people spoke with such heavy British accents
there. I guess we learn something new everyday,
this album would be kind of cool, but now
these vocals are going to kill me before the
music puts me to sleep. So if you like your
fake British rock and your dance beats this
might be the album for you, if not just go
buy Dent May’s latest album and listen
to him croon over is ukulele.
The
Ghost Is Dancing “Battles On”
(Sonic Unyon)
Aside from having one terrible, down right
awful band name, it is safe to say that The
Ghost Is Dancing know how to write some pretty
decent pop hooks. A better name for this band
might be Modest Mouse Jr. but hey who is to
judge. I am really enjoying the overall production
of this album more than the songs themselves
maybe that is saying something? Maybe not.
Going along with some of my pet peeves though
this band includes dance beats and a song
that is over eight minutes, and I know I have
said it before and I’ll say it again;
there is never a need for an opening track
to be over eight minutes long. You hear me?
Never!
Burning Image “Fantasma” (Alternative
Tentacles)
Is it wrong for me to hope that everything
and anything that Alternative Tentacles releases
will sound like “Bedtime For Democracy”?
This sounds like the exact opposite of that,
slow turning goth rock comparable to what
I’d imagine Nine Inch Nails to sound
like. I love Jello Biafra’s music, just
maybe not his taste in music.
Dredg “The Pariah, The Parrot, The
Delusion” (Self Released)
I usually don’t like digi-packs because
they are usually made cheap and break really
easily, however this package looks great.
From the looks of the cover art I am expecting
some southern hard rock, since the artwork
kind of reminds me of the band Down’s
artwork, and if you know who Down is it’ll
make sense. With all of my Phil Anselmo reference’s
aside Dredg sounds nothing like what I described
above. Their music proves to be a more technical
version of what the Rx Bandits have been doing
lately, lots of instruments and weird recording
techniques coming together to create long
drawn out songs where the message is lost
in its jumble. Also it is very rare these
days for an album to run over an hours time,
but this does it and I will personally congratulate
anyone who can sit through this for that long.
The
Blackout “The Best In Town” (Epitaph
Records)
Another well put together digi-pack with
multiple panels. I see these things getting
more and more popular before my very eyes.
The reason why this looks real good is because
it is covered in Tim Burton-esque cartoon
paintings that contain what I imagine to be
some of the bands favorite lyrics. Now, to
the music! What we have here is an amaped
up and riffing out of control over screamed
vocals, but then the tides turn the music
slows and now he is singing. I wish they’d
just make up their minds instead of being
a bunch of flip-floppers. I can’t stand
that, damn flip-floppers. If you want this
I am sure you’ll be able to find it
in your local Hot Topic, just look behind
the fat girls dressed in all black.
The Sorely Trying Days “Survival Mode”
(Useless World Records)
Is there a competition that I don’t
know about where the band with the worst name
wins a prize? If so this band gets my vote.
Hahah! Even better, their name when using
the initials is The STDs. This can’t
get any better! Oh wait it just did, they
are from Kokomo. Haha there is actually a
place called Kokomo in Indiana. Wow. Husker
Du Midwestern rock mixed with bro-dude hardcore
is what we have here, and let me fill you
in on a little secret, this is not a good
mix of sounds. I give up.
Only Thieves “Greetings From Levy Park,
T. L. H.” (Self Released)
This is beginning to remind me of the middle
Against Me!. Not the straight forward early
stuff, but not quite the complicated newer
stuff, but somewhere in the middle? Did Against
Me! Even have an album like that? I don’t
think so I remember it being a pretty drastic
change. The first song “Hammered For
The Holidays” is great, great enough
to make the rest of the album worthwhile.
Take my advice and take a chance on this,
I think you’ll be surprised, I sure
am.
Goonies Never Say Die “In A Forest
With Out Trees” (Deep Elm Records)
Yeesh! Another horrible band name, The Goonies
was a great movie but no need to name a band
after them. The best musical thing dealing
with The Goonies was Cyndi Lauper’s
song for the movie “Goonies Are Good
Enough”, now that’s a jam! I digress,
here we have songs that are way too long and
that have no vocals. Frickin’ instrumentals
dude! How am I supposed to sing along if there
are no words? The obvious comparison is Explosions
In The Sky, and that is about all I know of
instrumental music. Could be cool reading
or studying music. Definitely good for the
background!
Rich
White Males “We’ve Come To Kick
Ass And Play Bubblegum” (Cheapskate
Records)
This may just be right up my alley. Simple
three-chord Ramonescore music featuring Dangerous
Dave (of The Queers and The Bugs) that is
so catchy you’ll find yourself singing
along before the first song finishes. Being
that one of my favorite Queers record is “Beyond
The Valley Of The Assfuckers” this is
perfect for me. I’d definitely recommend
this for fans of the grittier pop punk ala
early Queers, Vindictives or Sloppy Seconds.
Now the question is which do I like more this
or The Bugs? And the answer is they are both
totally kick ass. I am hoping this band comes
to the east coast sometime in the near future
so I can sing along and pump my fist to all
the songs.
The Gateway District “Sometimes You
Get The Thunder” (It’s Alive Records)
A few years ago I took a chance on a 7inch
record from a band from Minnesota not knowing
what to expect and it was excellent. This
7inch was by The Gateway District it was so
good and never left my turntable but I was
worried I’d never get any new material
out of them due to the fact that they were
all in other excellent bands. Consisting of
members of bands such as The Soviettes, Dear
Landlord, Off With Their Heads, Banner Pilot
and my personal favorite from Minnesota Banner
Pilot you could call this an all-star band,
but whatever you call it don’t call
it a side project because this band is the
real deal. Also I believe they are touring
again real soon so you better make sure you
go see them, because you are sure to regret
it if you do. Like all things from It’s
Alive Records, you know you will be getting
high quality in terms of music as well as
the finished product its self. Each band member
contributes his or her own artwork to accompany
their songs in the liner notes in the cd and
the orange vinyl would look great in any record
collection. For this review I have been thinking
of choosing which song is my favorite but
it seems like the more I think about it the
more I change my mind because they are all
great, however for this review I am going
to say the standout track for right now is
the opening number “Keeps Track Of The
Time”, but if you ask me again in 5
minutes I’ll give you another. So good!
Dan Webb And The Spiders “Self Titled”
(Self Released)
Decent Boston tinged pub songs here, the
only things keeping them from being good or
great is the quality of the recording and
the simplicity of the songs, that dynamic
duo leads to me losing interest a lot of the
time. That said, I would not be upset if I
was hanging at a bar in Boston and this band
took a small stage and started to rock. However
the chances of me being in a bar in Boston
anytime soon is a long shot.
Merman
Records Presents: Sea Creatures #1 (Merman
Records)
This is the first installment of a four way
split series that I am very excited to watch
grow. It’s also Merman Records’
first release, and an excellent one at that.
The artwork is some of my favorite that I
have seen in a while, and fits the release
accurately. When I first started writing reviews
for Jersey Beat about two years ago, I received
a 7-inch from the first band on this split,
Fear Of Lipstick, and just as I enjoyed their
fun punk-rock-n-roll songs then, this new
song just adds to evidence that Fear Of Lipstick
isn’t just some half-assed side project
group. The Roman Line is a band I wasn’t
too familiar with prior to this release, but
I will definitely be checking out more stuff
from them in the near future. Reagle Beagle
is a band that I wasn’t to sure about.
I bought their full length on Rally Records
and wasn’t too impressed, aside from
the song they did with Joe Queer, so I was
kind of hoping this would restore my faith
in them. But this song seems to be the only
track on this release that is skipworthy.
Lastly, the Neutron Bombs song is really fun
but the intro reminds me of a Screeching Weasel
song but I can’t put my finger on. Don’t
get me wrong, I don’t mean to call them
a Screeching Weasel ripoff band, because aside
from those few notes, they aren’t all
that comparable. The Neutron Bombs have their
own well-thought-out and distinct sound. On
compilations, there’s usually about
75% crap and 25% decent stuff, but Merman
Records deliver 75% awesomeness and 25% decency.
Not a bad start at all for a new record label.
Here’s to many more releases!
BARRAKUDA
McMURDER - “Slow Crawl” EP (It’s
Alive / House Party Records)
Barrakuda McMurder is Grath Madden’s
first release post-Steinways, and needless
to say it is a great, great record. You still
have his fun lyrics accompanied by catchy
singing, only everything here seems to be
a bit more mature and better executed than
some of the stuff from The Steinways years.
Each of the four songs brings something new
to the table and there isn’t a single
track that I would ever skip, but “The
Royal You” has to be my favorite song
here (and maybe even one of my favorite songs
of the year.) I mean, hey, it’s already
June and this is still my favorite 7-inch
release of the year and it seems to be holding
up well. The only concern is that you better
get your hands on a copy before it sells out
because it is sure to do so, and you don’t
want to have to wait for the second pressing.
DEAR
LANDLORD - Dream Homes (No Idea Records)
I don’t usually do this but I am going
to start this review off with a short anecdote.
The year is 2004, I believe; it is a blazing
hot Memorial Day in our city on the beach,
and there is a punk rock show going on in
my friend’s basement showcasing bands
that I had heard little to none of at the
time (but are now some of my favorites.) We
are all crammed in a small basement with short
ceilings, it is so hot down there that it
seems that the room is sweating, and we are
mopping the floors after each set. Bands such
as The John Stamos Project and Bent Outta
Shape play, and I am loving life. I dare not
leave my spot even if I haven’t yet
heard of the two bands who are about to play,
one called Rivethead from MPLS and the other
The Copyrights from Carbondale, Illinois.
Those two sets flew by and I was left standing
there with my mouth hanging wide open. I quickly
made it over to the merch table where I bought
anything I could get my hands on, which left
me with a 7-inch from Rivethead and a CD from
The Copyrights (We Didn’t Come Here
To Die, which I think is still their best
album). So in 2007, three years after I first
saw these bands, I heard they were combining
forces for a band called Dear Landlord. I
knew they could do almost no wrong and to
this day I still believe I am right. I immediately
bought their first 7inch split with the Chinese
Telephones and fell in love with it, and even
reviewed it for Jersey Beat when I first started
out as a writer. I then got the split with
Off With Their Heads and thought that was
brilliant as well. However, the past is the
past and the future is now and Dear Landlord
is releasing their full-length album on No
Idea Records… and it is outstanding
from the first note till the last. You have
a rerecorded version of one song off of each
of those splits (which sound incredible) plus
12 brand new songs that will have you in punk
rock heaven in no time. Picking your favorite
track off of this album is like picking a
favorite child; it will be impossible because
you love them all equally, because they each
have so much going for them. This album is
in the running for the best record of the
year in my book and I think you’d be
a real dummy not to pick this up; and if you
don’t love it, you should turn in your
ears because you probably aren’t using
them correctly. In summation; Dear Landlord’s
Dream Homes is an instant punk rock masterpiece.
