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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
RADIO FACES, THE:
Party at the Bushwick Hotel: LP
Occasionally clever and catchy, but not essential as the bands from which they came, listening to The Radio Faces is an inconsistent affair. It alternates between “this is really great” from “get on with it,” from second to second. It’s sorta like wrestling a bear with a live fish in your back pocket. If all you had to do was wrestle the bear without distraction, you could single focus on that bear. (And probably get your ass handed to you, even if it was a cub, but you could get some licks in before the bear mauled you.) Yet with that fish in your back pocket, distracting you with a paroxysm of wiggles against a part of your body that isn’t used to such wigglin’, how in the fuck can you grapple with that bear undistractedly? You’d be lucky to get in any karate moves before dying. With The Radio Faces, replace the bear with classic rock’n’roll fronted by singer songwriterly men like Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Berry, and Tom Petty. Replace the fish with an ADD approach to music, where song-to-song (even within songs) seems to be flapping around too much for a cohesive album. But you don’t have to believe me or follow far-fetched analogies. If you’re fans of Nate (Modern Machines), Jamie (Bent Outta Shape), Mikey (Ergs!), and Skip (Ringers, I believe), and feel like giving The Radio Faces, give it a go. I won’t stop you.
–Todd Taylor (Art Of The Underground)
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QUICK FIX:
Rat Race: 7”
Quick Fix have a traditional low-fi hardcore sound, and they do a great job within the somewhat limiting constraints of that genre. Good record.
–The Lord Kveldulfr (No address listed)
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QUATRE TETE:
Art of the State: CD
Arty, dissonant rock with lotsa odd stops to keep you on yer toes. Found the instrumental tracks the most effective, but, on the whole, this seemed to be lacking any sort of heft to go along with the precision and proficiency in evidence, resulting in a disc that was occasionally interesting but ultimately a bit of a letdown.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Sick Room)
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PUNK AS A DOORNAIL:
Flogging the Punk Horse: CD
Punk As A Doornail is an incredible, two-piece joke band from OrangeCounty that performs goofy, stupid, brilliant, crass, punk as hell gems like “Bloody Gumballs” and “Dead as a Sad Snail.” The guitarist supposedly plays a guitar converted from an old skateboard, which goes beyond funny and into the realm of honestly awesome. Most thirteen-year-olds in bands write more mature lyrics than these guys, but there’s nothing more enduring than aging rockers singing about giving mothers a break on Mother’s Day by not raping or punching them in the face. I’m in love with this timeless folly.
–Art Ettinger (Zodiac Killer)
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PSYCHO NUBS:
Alley of the Ignots: CD
I love singers who sound like cartoon characters. All the songs on this disc seem like they are sung by some colorful Saturday morning mischief maker with whammy bars attached to his vocal cords. More importantly, the songs are catchy. When I listen to “Zombie Hill,” I can clearly picture an animated scene in which a punk rock band is running down the middle of a city street, their legs spinning wildly, getting nowhere while a mob of corpses with gnarled teeth chase them. Even after this image has passed, I’ve still got the song in my head. Listen to this and see what cartoons it makes in your brain!
–MP Johnson (Self-released, www.myspace.com/thepsychonubs)
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PSYCHED TO DIE:
Sterile Walls: 7”EP
Tootsie Pop hardcore with a chewy pop sensibility underneath the thick shell. Think along the lineage of Minor Threat to Kid Dynamite to Western Addiction. Featuring Mike Erg on drums, it, thankfully, doesn’t sound like a band dalliance into hardcore (“Next week, funk!”), but a genuine article. Desperate, tightly wound, anxious-sounding stuff that veers away from simple monkey beats or a blur to cover up any shortcomings. Thumbs up.
–Todd Taylor (Grave Mistake / Firestarter)
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PROPAGANDHI:
Supporting Caste: CD
I honestly thought I was done with Propagandhi after 2005’s Potemkin City Limits. They just seemed to be going through the motions on that one. Less anger and more pleading didn’t look good on them, and I never listened to the record again. I almost didn’t listen to this one either, but I would have been kicking myself in the nuts for that one (is that even possible?). Supporting Caste is the best thing the band has put out since Less Talk More Rock. First off, it’s heavy, and I mean fuckin’ heavy! Becoming a four piece really adds a new dimension to the sound. It bugs your eyes right out of your head. The lyrical content is, as always, anti- bigotry, homophobia, corporation, and carnivore (but pro cannibal!). They’re even pissed off again! Anarchy never sounded so good!
–Ty Stranglehold (G7 Welcoming Committee)
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PREGNANT:
Wanna See My Gun?: 7” EP
Despite the press material’s ridiculously hyperbolic claims that these kids are the new millennium’s answer to Black Flag, the Melvins, Flipper, Gang of Four, and “Void on Quaaludes,” they’re not-as-noisy-as-all-that rock nevertheless has enough oddness pumped into it to make it interesting at worst, catchy and pleasantly Stooges-inflected at best. Also says they’re working on a full-length, and if they pump that up with a bit more righteous fury, they might have something truly of note on their hands.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Don Giovanni)
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POLICE & THIEVES:
Amor y Guerra: CD
Some D.C. residents vibe heavy on their Revolution Summer predecessors, right down to the Ian-esque vocals. Though not as sonically diverse as some of those mid-‘80s bands could be, the results here could easily be put in that space between, say, Second Wind and Embrace and no one would cry foul.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Youngblood)
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PLAN B PURSUIT:
Under Your Hat: CD
This is a case of influences outshining a band’s own vision. The songs on “Under Your Hat” sound like rip offs of Pinhead Gunpowder and early Green Day. Don’t get me wrong—I love all that music—it’s just that this album keeps me turning to the CD player and wondering, “Is that Billy Joe Armstrong?” which makes these songs too derivative. This pop punk album does have some catchy tunes. “Twist and Fall” is worth a listen. The drums are upfront, upbeat, and pounding throughout the tracks. My gut tells me this band would put on an amazing live show. Perhaps, on stage, they would represent a little more of their own sound? (Eunuch, www.myspace.com/pbp)
–Guest Contributor (N.L. Dewart)
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PK:
Casting Shadows: CDEP
Man, if it was 2003, Victory Records or Vagrant would be all over these guys. Modern melodramatic pop punk reminiscent of Taking Back Sunday, Saves the Day…you name it; if the band has the word “Day” somewhere in the title, they sound like them. The average Razorcake reader isn’t gonna dig this, but I get the feeling my tolerance for this stuff is higher than most, and found it somewhat decent. Points for the TK-421 (Star Wars) reference, too.
–Will Kwiatkowski (No address)
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PIST, THE:
Ideas Are Bulletproof: LP
Glad to see this back in print. The Pist are not to be denied! Seems like a lot of people had a hard time finding this album, at least on the West Coast, when it originally came out. The street punk influence is more prominent on here (and saluted in the song, “Street Punk”), and the songs have slowed down slightly. I always thought the mix on here sounded a little flat. They should have turned the guitars up a bit more, and maybe a little more low end to give the music more punch. But what can you do? Songs like “Energy” with its quick pace and stop-go breaks is a ripper, and you get the classic “Still Pist” on here as well. I would suggest starting with the singles collections, Input Equals Output, then get this.
–Matt Average (Havoc)
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PINK RAZORS:
Leave Alive: 12”EP
Honest, emotional pop punk from this former Richmond, VA, four-piece, and now dispersed between Richmond, Bloomington, IN, and Tucson, AZ. Male and female vocals trade off between tracks. Songs sung by newest member, Erin Tobey have a familiar sound to them, familiarity without mimicry, however. The easiest point of reference is likely Discount, but there is much more going on here than just tracing over points plodded out previously by Alison and co. A rollicking instrumental, “Clouded,” is a nice touch and is followed by the very Vena Cava-esque “No Secrets.” Erin shares vocals and guitar duty with Jeff Grant. Jeff’s songs are fine, though a little more straightforward pop punk (in the DIY school of pop punk that is—think Shorebirds) and a little less dynamic, less remarkable, showing Erin to be a truly inspired addition to the band. I look forward to new releases and more incorporation of Erin’s voice in the mix. Nine tracks in total here, released on Houseplant Records, a label created by Jeff and Erin. Definitely worthy of multiple listens. Recommended for fans of Superchunk, Discount, and Vena Cava.
–Jeff (Houseplant)
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PHOTOBOOTH:
Da Me Tus Besos: EP
At first I thought these guys were from Europe, instead of San Francisco (ex-FM Knives, and Mothballs). There’s something about their sound that is a bit more free than how U.S. bands play it. Jangley garage pop that’s a tad raw and unrefined, and that’s where their sound has strength. The drums crash and rumble, the guitars go heryky jerky and a little chirpy, and the rhythms are catchy and even danceable. “Da Me Tus Besos” may be the A-side, but the two songs, “You,” and “3 In The Morning,” on the flip are more upbeat and driven. No complaints, really. You’re not going to lose with any of the songs on here.
–Matt Average (Daggerman)
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PHANTOM LIMBS:
Accept the Juice / Whole Loto Love: CD + DVD
My unabashed admiration for this band’s synth-pumped, psychotic circus punk has been well documented, and my belief that punk rock is worse off with their passing is heartfelt. What these kids were doing was reveling in the same alluring creativity, unpredictability, and, yes, sense of danger that allowed those first few waves of punk to fuck up so many lives. They were a band to get genuinely excited about, and I’m gonna spend the rest of my life kicking myself in the ass for not seein’ ‘em when I had the chance. I guess they figured there were quite a few fans as dumb as I, so in addition to a disc’s worth of singles tracks, remixes, and live cuts—all of which are friggin’ choice, I might add—they’ve seen fit to include a DVD filled with live footage of the band wreaking bloody, occasionally disrobed, havoc on unsuspecting audiences. This one’s a definite must-have for any collection.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Alternative Tentacles)
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PETER STUBB:
Selected Cuts Vol. 1: LP
Imagine making a casserole from equal parts G.G. Allin, a sidewalk performer with an acoustic guitar, and the underbelly of backwoods Georgia. Mix well and serve it up half-baked and you’ll essentially have this record. Primarily a discography of previous cassette releases (or so it seems), parts of this record are really entertaining and parts are really sort of crappy. But I liked it enough that I’d listen to it again—the closest, I believe, that I can come to an accurate comparison would be that this is kind of like Beck meets Antiseen.
–The Lord Kveldulfr (Family Night)
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PEGGY SUES / FUTURE LOVERS:
: Split 7”
The Peggy Sues are lesbians playing lascivious, gyrating rock that sounds like a sloppy version of the band from “Prey for Rock ‘n’ Roll.” The Future Lovers play herky-jerky whoah-oh pop-punk songs about staring at girls. You know how depressing it is when you’re sober at a party where a bunch of awkward people have got drunk and started hitting on each other? Like, it’s almost funny, but it’s just too much of a bummer? This record puts that feeling on wax.
–CT Terry (Wee Rock)
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PARASITES, THE:
Solitary: CD
Ack! I want to like this more than I do! I have waited years for this album! The first song (“All the Time in the World”) is classic Parasites pop punk greatness! But then the rest of the album just starts to seem like one long pop song. Ack! Perhaps this album needs two tablespoons more punk rock and a slightly faster tempo! Certainly the cheezy classic Parasites lyrics are there (“When I think of things we’ll never have/It breaks my heart, it hurts so bad.”) But there’s also the less-than-classic (“Nobody’s calling me/I used up my battery/But as soon as it holds a charge/Then my life will start again”). I will give this time for a more thorough evaluation. But right now, if this were a cereal, it’d be Kix. Not bad, but if you’re expecting Lucky Charms, then you’ve got a problem.
–Maddy (Kid Tested, www.kidtestedrecords.com)
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PANIK ATTACK / INTENSIVES:
Figure it Out! / Tear Resistant: 7”
This release is two street punk bands with a cover that made me think it was a new wave single. If these bands were in a fight, the winner would be the Intensives, despite their silly haircuts.
–Bryan Static (Longshot)
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ONE WIN CHOICE:
DefineRedefine: CDEP
These five songs sound halfway between Rise Against on Revolutions Per Minute and the more straightforward Avail songs, which lands them in Strike Anywhere territory. While that sounds good and all, there’s some weak voice work going on here: harmonies that never really gel, some ill-chosen vocal melodies, and some angry screams that never really sound angry as much as a little whiny. I reviewed this band’s other album, and I said the exact same thing about the vocals. There’s some kind of oomph that the band’s lacking in the singing department. Maybe they’ll get it next time around.
–Adrian (Jump Start)
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ON THE BRINK:
Take Cover: CD
Is Longshot Records the new TKO? Who knows, but I do know that they consistently release great records by bands rocking the whole Beltones/Bodies vibe. You can add On The Brink to the list of good ones. The songs here are rockin’ and very catchy. I find my head uncontrollably bobbing up and down and my hand unconsciously reaching for another beer. They have a lot in common with fellow Edmontonians Wednesday Night Heroes but with perhaps a little more Ripcordz in their sound. Edmonton has had a long and storied punk rock history and On The Brink are adding another page.
–Ty Stranglehold (Longshot)
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OLD CALIFORNIO:
Westering Again: CD
Groovy Dead-influenced fodder for makin’ love in your Chevy van, if that’s all right with you.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.oldcalifornio.com)
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OBITS, THE:
I Blame You: CD
I have no particular love for the Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu or any of their prior or subsequent bands. Everyone jumps up and down and throws a fit when these guys get in to a studio, but, typically, I find myself underwhelmed. Same with cohorts Rocket From The Crypt and everything those guys have ever touched. So when I say that the Obits record has made it in to my daily required listening pile, you’ll know it must be something special. It cracked my thick skull. It must be good. This is a great example of what I’d like modern rock to look and sound like. Enough nods to garage and punk of the past to fill the tank of a rocket headed towards the future and uncharted lands. All packaged in Rick Froberg’s signature art style. Shit is weird and classy. Just the way I like it. I think if you twisted my arm, I’d admit there were a few so-so songs on here, but you could rip out my fucking fingernails and I would never speak an ill word of the song “Back and Forth”. It closes the album in one of the best ways possible. It’s so fucking good it makes you want to put the record back on immediately after.
–Steveo (Sub Pop)
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YUKON:
Medallion: CDEP
Wending from an intersection of prog and math rock, Yukon comes off as exploratory and angular. The formula for their songs melds At The Drive-In with early Yes. The results are percolating melodies that work for twenty to thirty seconds, but get repetitive as the minutes tick by. This made me feel like I was listening to a practice session in someone’s garage, but your mileage may vary.
–Kristen K (Infinite Limbs, www.myspace.com/infl2012)
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WOLFBRIGADE:
Comalive: LP
A million times better than I was expecting, and I was expecting quite a bit. Since the days when they were known as Wolfpack, these guys have been a consistent favorite, so the bar is always raised high. They have a habit of raising that bar a bit higher all the time. I did think the last couple records, thought not horrible, were not as awesome as the previous (I’m still keeping them in my collection, no doubt). Here, they deliver in full. Sonic D-beat that obliterates all in its path. Makes most seem like amateurs. All thirteen songs are absolute rippers. They can hammer down like no tomorrow and hit you with a melody at the same time. If you like bands like Tragedy, or the Victims, then you need to get this. Wolfbrigade were doing it before them and all that have followed, and really, doing it better. “Skulls of Doom” is unbelievable. The tempo is raging, guitars are thrashing, drums are crashing, then here comes this melodic guitar over the noisy din that sends it over the edge. Fuggin’ awesome! Every song is a jaw dropper. There’s a song like “Barren Dreams” that rages, then there’s “The Race of the Wrath” that goes even further. Raging like mad, then they shift to a mid-tempo break and back to the fast and speedy in a blink. It may be premature to state this, but this album is a classic. Easily.
–Matt Average (Deranged)
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