 |
|
|
|
|
| Can't find Razorcake at your favorite store? Lend us a hand and we'll send you a free issue. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 | Razorcake will send you one free issue if you ask your librarian if they would carry Razorcake in their stacks. (This offer is good for both traditional libraries and independent libraries.) To get the free issue, you must send us the librarian's name and email and the library's postal address. We will then contact them directly and donate a subscription to them. U.S. libraries only, due to postage. | |
|
|
|
|
|
| | .gif&contenttype=gif "Scene Point Blank")
Record Reviews1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 | 0-9| A| B| C| D| E| F| G| H| I| J| K| L| M | | N| O| P| Q| R| S| T| U| V| W| X| Y| Z| Below are some recently posted reviews.  RSS Feed
PRANK WAR /PARASOL:
Split: Cassette
Parasol: The guitars of the Adolescents and the vocal warble of Sleater-Kinney executed exquisitely. Their melodies and songwriting show promise for what I assume is a young band. I await a solo release eagerly. Prank War: Vicious and angry in that way where you can hear the band breaking their instruments as they’re playing. In my book, that’s a good thing. If you’re going to be angry, be angry about it. Recommended.
–Bryan Static (Trashy Tapes, no address)
| |
|
POOR LUCKIES, THE:
EP#1: 7”
This is fairly standard punk in the vein of Fang (but not quite as toothy) from this San Francisco three-piece. The three tunes, which are about murder and drinking for the most part, aren’t overly original in their sound, but they’re not bad. I liked it, but I wasn’t blown away.
–The Lord Kveldulfr (Self-released, reverbnation.com/poorluckies)
| |
|
PILE:
Dripping: CD
College rock, alt-rock, skronk and post-hardcore melded together in one noisy package. I prefer their noisier, disjointed moments, like “Grunt Like a Pig,” over their more structured, musical moments, but I imagine this’ll get no shortage of plays by people cramming for a Chem 203 exam.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Exploding in Sound, dan@explodinginsound.com)
| |
|
PIG//CONTROL:
Self-titled: EP
This record is fuggin’ awesome! It’s fast and crushing hardcore punk with some noisy elements permeating the overall sound. Guitars churn and crank over thundering percussion, while the vocals have a dry, raspy style that spits the words out with contempt for religion, the elite, and more. The songs race by at a quick clip, but it never blurs into grind. Think of early Die Kreuzen, mixed with some Scandinavian sound, and coming out of Germany. I like the feedback lock groove on side one. Nice touch! On side two is the long and punishing “Trauma.” Cold feedback sets the dark and bleak tone. It builds tension as it goes a few measures before everyone else comes in to blow the whole thing apart. And when they do start playing, the results are excellent. The song has a crushing and yet catchy riff that rocks like hell. Then they hit whirlwind speed, go for some chaos, and end with lumbering drums. Great record! The more I listen to this, the more I find myself starting to obsess over these guys. More records soon!
–Matt Average (Heartfirst, info@heartfirst.net, heartfirst.net)
| |
|
PEACEBASTARD:
Global Crisis: EP
Blistering guitars that rip and tear, leaving jagged necrotic slashes, and percussion that kicks and punches with intensity. Then you have a dual vocal attack—one sounds like complete hell, with her loud and throaty bellows that sound like her last vocal chord has been shredded to oblivion, backed by low, somewhat deep, from-the-gut male vocals that work more as a signifier. The intensity of this record is awesome. They play like this could be the last day on earth. So f’n awesome!
–Matt Average (Heartfirst, info@heartfirst.net, heartfirst.net)
| |
|
PARASOL:
Scoot Over: 7”
Parasol is a female-fronted three-piece from Boston. There’s a sort of nervous delivery about these songs that makes them endearing. With their unsteady vocals and simple pop punk sound, the band almost comes off as a less boring version of Rainer Maria.
–Dan Ozzi (Nervous Nelly)
| |
|
ONSIND:
Anaesthesiology: CD
ONSIND is one of my favorite bands currently. I mean, err, “favourite.” They’re from this very real place called Pity Me, where I pity nothing because these two are too talented for that entire British Isle. This album is just as beautiful, heartfelt, emotional, smart, and driven as their previous efforts. Only moreso, since the songs are “loosely connected” but not like some pretentious concept record. And also the first track has “Pokemon” in the title, and I fucking love Pokemon. Fuck you, don’t judge me.
–Donna Ramone (Discount Horse, nathanisacynic@gmail.com, onsind.bandcamp.com)
| |
|
OLD LINES:
Self-titled: 12” EP
You know the feeling you get when you see a great band live? The hair stands up on the back of your neck, and it feels like the music isn’t just vibrating in your ears, but right down to your DNA. That’s the feeling I’ve gotten both times I’ve seen Old Lines play, and their debut 12” captures that experience in vinyl form. The record features seven tracks, delivering Old Lines’ crushing riffs direct to you. I was a big fan of the band’s sharp political lyrics, which tackle a variety of topics, but especially on the track “Cages,” for its anti-vivisection theme. Vocalist Matt’s potent roar and the rest of the band’s thundering music is so intense on record, you’ll swear you’re in a dirty basement somewhere experiencing them live.
–Paul J. Comeau (oldlines bandcamp.com, oldlines666@gmail.com)
| |
|
NO TURNING BACK:
No Regrets: NO TURNING BACK: No Regrets: CD
Oh man, this is some seriously angry “chugga-chugga” hardcore. It’s really not my thing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fine and good to get your anger out in your music. Catharsis is a good thing. Being angry all the time, however, just doesn’t sound like much fun to me.
–Ty Stranglehold (Fast Break, fastbreakent.com)
| |
|
NATURAL CHILD:
Hard in Heaven: LP
This is either Natural Child’s third or fourth album, depending if the Bodyswitchers CD-R I have counts as an album. I got this in early 2013 but I believe it was supposed to be released in 2012, and was supposed to be the second of three LPs the band was hoping to release in 2012. Anyway, Natural Child is the current king of Southern boogie garage rock, which is the only way I can think to describe them (they’re not garage per se and not straight-up rock, but they are Southern). The opening two tracks are a bit more straight-forward punk-y chuggers, not unlike their first 7”. On my first few listens, I had trouble hearing the bass, which on all other Natural Child recordings is the real lead instrument (not to slag the other guys, but as a bass player myself, I’ve got a soft spot for bassists who take the lead). Late one night I was listening to Hard in Heaven at a low volume on account of not wanting to wake my girlfriend up and then I really heard the bass. So maybe this record is meant to be played at a low-to-moderate volume? Only song I don’t like is the excessively long title track that closes out the first side.
–Sal Lucci (Burger)
| |
|
NATO COLES AND THE BLUE DIAMOND BAND / KING FRIDAY:
Split: 7”
Two tracks each from these bands from Minnesota and Florida, respectively. I’m liking King Friday more and more with everything that I hear from them. They straddle that post-hardcore pre-emo fence that a lot of bands did as punk evolved in the mid- to late-’80s, but King Friday don’t sound retro in any way. This was the first time that I’ve heard Nato Coles, and I wasn’t disappointed in the least. They have a cleaner, poppier sound than I would have expected with this pairing, and the sound strikes me as so definitely Midwestern—as if John Mellencamp were to be in a pop punk band. Satisfying. Grayish purple vinyl!
–The Lord Kveldulfr (ADD)
| |
|
NAILS:
Abandon All Life: CD/LP
The follow-up to Unsilent Death finds Nails once again playing blistering metal in concise fashion (ten songs in seventeen minutes). As I get older I find I still love heavy, fast music, but I also find the inclusion of short bursts that comprise songs to be more of a novelty and not so much anything I’m interested in listening to repeatedly. Some acts can pull this off successfully (Pig Destroyer), but most don’t seem to have anything substantive to add to the genre by utilizing these sorts of tunes. Nails are obviously skillful musicians and know how to bring intensity and passion to their craft. Their ability to find a groove and strength in the longer tracks makes them pretty formidable. However, there are only two of those songs on Abandon All Life and while both are quite good, it leads me to wonder what an entire album of such material might sound like. My guess is that it would be pretty awesome.
–Kurt Morris (Southern Lord)
| |
|
MUDHONEY:
Vanishing Point: LP
I can admit it. I latched onto the whole grunge thing in the early ‘90s. I was seventeen years old in a small town. I had given up punk rock and skateboarding a few years earlier because I was sick of getting in fights with rednecks and metalheads. I was already on my way back to where I belonged by listening to Pixies and Sonic Youth, but then Nirvana happened and suddenly there was this whole thing and bands were everywhere. Of all those Seattle bands, Mudhoney was always my favorite, probably because they were less metal and more garage/trash punk… And they covered The Dicks. I find it amusing that these long couple of decades later that Mudhoney is one of the only bands from that era still standing. Kind of like that guy who shows up at your high school reunion. He always drank more, did more drugs, and generally did all the stupid shit that everyone else had at least one shred of common sense not to do. Yet he’s there. Looking and sounding a bit rougher around the edges, but that smirk and glint of crazy in the eye are still firmly in place. That is Mudhoney in 2013. Vanishing Point has everything a good Mudhoney record should have: searing, effects-laden guitar, a definite groove behind the noise, and that sarcastic caterwaul that can only be Mark Arm. This record makes me happy. It shows that the underdogs who didn’t get swept up into the “twice an hour” rock radio purgatory can still put out quality music a lifetime after the hair farming “superstars” of the era have long dried up and blown away.
–Ty Stranglehold (Sub Pop)
| |
|
MUDDY RAILS:
Self-titled: CD
Muddy Rails’ debut album is nine songs in just over twenty minutes of Hot Water Music-influenced punk from Iowa. Yes, Iowa. It seems fun and energetic and perhaps something that a number of Razorcake listeners might enjoy. There’s something infectious about the sound that I can’t deny, but, at the same time, is too formulaic of something that might have been put out on Fat or Epitaph back in the day that makes me not want to like it. I’m split, but if you’re looking for a new indie punk band to get into, you might want to give Muddy Rails a try.
–Kurt Morris (Brolester)
| |
|
MISERIA DE TU ROSTRO, LA:
Jauría: LP
This kinda dances between metallic crust punk and something a bit more influenced by mid-period Slayer. All the usual genre makers are in evidence, though, and while the results aren’t exactly groundbreaking, they are quite adept at what they’re dishin’ out.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Depraved & Devilish, punkdeluxe.net)
| |
|
MINDLESS ATTACK:
Self-titled: EP
Okay punk rock/hardcore from this trio. They sort of remind me of The Pist, with their straight-ahead, no-frills approach in both the music and lyrics. At times, it sounds like the drummer is struggling to keep the tension and speed up the tempo. That’s kind of a plus, and gives this a rawness. However, on the whole, these songs never really take off and go for broke, or have much “zing” to warrant more listens. Should have been a demo that the band could have picked apart and maybe recorded something better later?
–Matt Average (Mindless Attack, mindlessattack.blogspot.com)
| |
|
MEAT WAVE:
Self-titled: Cassette
Surprisingly complex and seamless for a debut, these guys show no evidence of clunky change ups and left of target performances that plague new bands. Rife with hooks and brawny bass lines, “Keep Smoking” takes off like a horse at the bell with a throbbing guitar hook hit with a Lone Ranger space rock chord. “No Definition” plays up Chris Sutter’s scratchy, accessible Kurt Cobain vox that will have fans of grunge descend like flies upon this trio out of Chicago. A slower, lilting Dead Kennedy’s tempo sets up “15 Years” while “Lurie Garden Chopping” hurtles you back into a taught earwormy guitar rhythm. Well executed, these visceral nine tracks surge with beefy sustenance.
–Kristen K (Let’s Pretend)
| |
|
MANATEES:
Out for Booze: 7” EP
Fairly straightforward, dark punk rock with lo-fi production values that both lend some edge and steals some oomph from the overall delivery. Not bad, not stunning.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Pelican Pow Wow)
| |
|
MACGYVER:
Panthalassa: LP
I swear, PHR is becoming synonymous with stuff like this: sturdy, growling European punk with a fervent nod to eighties hardcore and post-punk. The label seems as consistent in their particular vision as, say, Fat Wreck or In The Red is in theirs; the bands aren’t derivative of each other, but there’s a definite similarity at work. Macgyver doesn’t really stray far from the handful of other bands I’ve heard from this label, but they don’t drop the ball either. Granted, I can’t understand a word, but there’s a nice sparking gallop in songs like “Osud” and “Slunovrat.” Structurally (and a bit vocally) the band’s akin to Noir Desir, but with a stronger punk backbone and flashes of bright guitar lines. Solid effort.
–Keith Rosson (PHR)
| |
|
MAGIC SHADOWS:
“Sunburned Mind” b/w “Under the Stairs”: 7"
So I just get Canadian stuff because I’m English and you Yanks think we’re the same. Whatever dudes, I’m the winner this month. Sometimes just a couple of short songs tell a lot about the people who made them. It’s clear these guys are audiophiles, not so much in the sound they make but what has gone into the sound they make. There’s something from every decade—’60s pop, ‘70s psych, ‘80s shoegaze—and some of the more recent fuzzed-out bands like the Oh Sees or Ty Segall. It sounds like these fellas have spent the snowing winters up there hunched over dusty 45s for the past few years. There’s just a couple of drums which give it a tribal drive, and combined with the shimmer and fuzz, the music has a dreamy feel. Don’t get me wrong, this has plenty of bite and can fit snugly in your punk collection. It’s thought out, well crafted, and has plenty of hooks. For a sweeping statement, this is something I could see a label like Trouble In Mind getting involved in.
–Tim Brooks (Magic Shadows, magicshadows@mail.com)
| |
|
LINE, THE:
Self-titled: 7”
The Line is an antifa hardcore punk band from Warsaw, Poland. Side A of this 7” was three studio tracks, and Side B was three live recordings. It’s rare when you hear bands whose songs each have a different sound/style, but it’s the case with The Line. Their anthem song, “Hey Ho, The Line,” has a very speedy punk’n’roll vibe calling to mind the earliest punk sound. “Lewiatan” and “Problem,” also on the studio side of the album, have more of a thrashy hardcore punk sound. There’s enough similarity between the styles that listening to the 7” never feels disjointed, like listening to a compilation instead of the same band, but the thrashier more aggressive songs stand out more for me. There was a less derivative feel to them than “Hey Ho, The Line,” whose riff sounded to my ears only slightly off from “Blitzkrieg Bop.” The recording quality of the live tracks is a bit uneven, a bit grainy, but not entirely unlistenable. It includes two new songs, “2010” and “Polska” and a live rendition of “Hey Ho, The Line.” The two new tracks are in the vein of the band’s thrashier stuff, and I was into it. I’d have been more pumped though if their weakest song didn’t appear twice on the same 7”.
–Paul J. Comeau (nobread, nobread@mail.ru, nobreadlabel.blogspot.com)
| |
|
LEIDKULTUR:
For a Better World: EP
Mid-tempo punk from Germany here. There’s a heaviness to their sound, but not in the typical crust or metal way. A good bit of low end helps these songs move with force. I like the slightly distorted sound of the bass, as it gives their sound some teeth, with the guitars right underneath. Lyrically, they present interesting view points that ask real questions and steer clear of black and white statements. It could be a result of growing older, as they mention in the description to “Hoffnung.” But they question social values, conspiracy theorists, and society’s overall lack of seeing things as they really are.
–Matt Average (Spastic Fantastic, spasticfantastic.de)
| |
|
LATE BLOOMER:
Self-titled: Cassette
Late Bloomer play melodic punk that has potential, but I don’t think that this tape quite makes it. It’s okay and everything, but the harmonies drone a little too much for my tastes and the melodies don’t quite pop for me. There’s nothing inherently flawed in what Late Bloomer does, but this just doesn’t wow me. (Granted, it could just be the mix.) I guess, in the end, what always separates the great bands from the rest is that the great ones have at least one thing that makes them distinctive no matter how much they may sound like other bands out there. I couldn’t find that one thing here. Sorry, dudes.
–The Lord Kveldulfr (Self Aware, selfawarerecords.com)
| |
|
JOWLS:
Cursed: 10”
Jowls trade in the syncopated, groove-oriented emo-core pioneered by Shotmaker in the mid ‘90s. This style got old fast, but Jowls give it life with passionate playing and dynamic songs that build, twist, and crescendo. Vital enough to avoid being caught in the past, but true enough to the form to make me feel like I’m at a Clinton-era hardcore fest, playing foursquare with a bunch of Spock-rockers. Six songs, green marble vinyl.
–CT Terry (tinyengines.limitedrun.com)
| |
|
JERRY SPIDER GANG:
Back to Life: 7”
French garage rock on the upper end of the genre. Fellow Frenchman the Distortions or (more appropriately) TV Killers are a good comparison, as this is more about riffs and vocals than it is noise and feedback. All three songs feature minimalist solos, catchy hooks, slightly distorted vocals, and appropriate use of wah-wah. This came out on a French label but should be relatively easy to track down in the states.
–Ian Wise (Frantic City, franticcity.free.fr)
| |
|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539 540 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 550 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579 580 581 582 583 584 585 586 587 588 589 590 591 592 593 594 595 596 597 598 599 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 613 614 615 616 617 618 619 620 621 622 623 624 625 626 627 628 629 630 631 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639 640 641 642 643 644 645 646 647 648 649 650 651 652 653 654 655 656 657 658 659 660 661 662 663 664 665 666 667 668 669 670 671 672 673 674 675 676 677 678 679 680 681 682 683 684 685 686 687 688 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699 700 701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 709 710 711 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 721 722 723 724 725 726 727 728 729 730 731 732 733 734 735 736 737 738 739 740 741 742 743 744 745 746 747 748 749 750 751 752 753 754 755 756 757 758 759 760 761 762 763 764 765 766 767 768 769 770 771 772 773 774 775 776 777 | 0-9| A| B| C| D| E| F| G| H| I| J| K| L| M | | N| O| P| Q| R| S| T| U| V| W| X| Y| Z| | |
|
|
|
|
| If you live in the Los Angeles area and want to help us out, let us know. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Get monthly notifications of new arrivals and distro and special offers for being part of the Razorcake army. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
