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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
KOROVA:
Another Happy Customer: CD
Remember thinkin’ the 45 they put out was a nice bit of hardcore in its “we recorded this in the living room” glory, and that assessment would fit nicely here as well. The songs are infused with a bit more Black Flag thud than few others seem to bother with, giving the loose delivery here a bit more heft, and what I can make of the lyrics, they don’t seem overly dopey, which is a blessing unto itself.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Korova)
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KNUCKLEHEAD / HOSTAGE LIFE:
Split: 7”
The first song, “Hearts on Fire,” by Knucklehead starts straight into a sing along in the vein of Social Distortion and Rancid. It deals with the political situation in Burma, is pretty catchy, and definitely carries a solid beat. The second song, “Sense and Politics” is about politics, and makes no sense. “I don’t know what the issue is, there ain’t no sense in politics.” When you don’t know about something, it makes no sense. I’m enlightened. Hostage Life first presents us with “ratlines,” which is very reminiscent of pre-Al Barr Dropkick Murphys. It had me all pumped up, which cause me to read ahead through the lyrics of “Young Aryans,” a track about vanity and plastic surgery. Major letdown. A cheesy pop punk song. If there is a unifying trait on this 7” it’s that the first track on both sides is solid, but both of the second tracks lack substance.
–Rene Navarro (Longshot)
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KNUCKLEHEAD / HOSTAGE LIFE:
Split: 7”
The first song, “Hearts on Fire,” by Knucklehead starts straight into a sing along in the vein of Social Distortion and Rancid. It deals with the political situation in Burma, is pretty catchy, and definitely carries a solid beat. The second song, “Sense and Politics” is about politics, and makes no sense. “I don’t know what the issue is, there ain’t no sense in politics.” When you don’t know about something, it makes no sense. I’m enlightened. Hostage Life first presents us with “ratlines,” which is very reminiscent of pre-Al Barr Dropkick Murphys. It had me all pumped up, which cause me to read ahead through the lyrics of “Young Aryans,” a track about vanity and plastic surgery. Major letdown. A cheesy pop punk song. If there is a unifying trait on this 7” it’s that the first track on both sides is solid, but both of the second tracks lack substance.
–Rene Navarro (Longshot)
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KNIFE THE SYMPHONY:
Crawler: CD
Guessed by the centipede on the cover this was gonna be some sorta noise rock dealie, but crapped out with emo instead. My inner optimist in me is sayin’, “Well, at least the singer’s mostly screamin,” while my inner pessimist is bellowing “Ya fuckin’ ninny!” at me.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.phratryrecords.com)
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KIM PHUC :
Wormwood Star: 7”
An interesting mix of arty sludge and thuddy punk delivered with a nice ladling of attitude. Trying to find a comparison, and one’s right on the tip of my brain, but I can’t quite pull it from the depths, which I guess is a good enough way of sayin’ what these guys are peddlin’ ain’t as easily pigeonholed as others.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Criminal IQ)
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JUVENTUD CRASA:
Amor en el Zafancón: CD
Another disc of punk rock rife with that classic Latin American punk sound: a little hardcore, a little U.K. punk. Spanish lyrics. The songs are catchy and anthemic, with the closer, “No Funciona,” standing out as the strongest track.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.discosdehoy.com)
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JUVENTED CRASA:
Amor en el Zafacón: CD
Great little record with an awesome early ‘80s hardcore sound. Unfortunately, the lyrical content was beyond me since I don’t know Spanish, which I would guess is the right and proper lingua punka if you’re from Puerto Rico like J.C. are. But the lyrics are translated in the notes in English and Japanese (nice!), so you can get a feel for what the tunes are about—an ‘80s feel there, too. Some of the tunes were straight-on mindblowing hardcore, and some are hardcore with some swirly vocal harmonies the likes of 7 Seconds or later MIA. I have no complaints with this record. Six tunes that are at the very least good, and some are downright grenade-in-my-brain-ish. Huzzah!
–The Lord Kveldulfr (Persona Unknown)
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JUKEBOX ZEROS:
Rock N Roll Ronin: CDEP
I have been waiting for this record for too damn long. The first EP and full length by this band are two of the very best records of this decade and still get regular spins round my house. I am glad to say that this new six-songer stacks up right along the others. Released by the king of all tastemakers, Mr. Pat Todd, this new disc sounds right at home on Rank Outsider Records. There are elements here of many the greats: hints of Dictators, Radio Birdman, Ramones, Zeros, and Saints can be heard. Not actively attempting to ape anyone, the Jukebox Zeros bring to mind those great bands because they are themselves an amazing band. Fans of the Humpers, Lazy Cowgirls, Jeff Dahl, Joneses, and other rockers are going to want to be all over this.
–Mike Frame (Rank Outsider, www.rankoutsiderrecords.com)
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JOHNNY THROTTLE:
Stukas Über Shoreditch: 7”
Now this is what I’m talking about! Rockin’ punk that brings to mind the likes of Smut Peddlers, The Fakes, Broken Bottles, or any number of the Hostage Records types of bands. Gang back ups, a touch of piano here and there, and a helping of hand claps in the mix and you get the idea. I can’t get enough of this! That’s it Johnny Throttle, you’re on my list. I want more!
–Ty Stranglehold (Wrench)
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JOHN BARRETT’S BASS DRUM OF DEATH:
Self-titled: 7”
With what little information I’m working with, I think that this is a one man band along the lines of Bob Log III. The difference here is that this record is way more bluesy and John Barrett seems to sing a lot more than screech into a motorcycle helmet/telephone receiver type of thing. The result is a couple of good songs that I could definitely see myself tipping some drinks to.
–Ty Stranglehold (Fat Possum)
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JERK WARD:
Too Young to Thrash: LP
Jerk Ward was a hardcore band that formed in Victoria BC, Canada in 1982. They came up in a scene alongside the likes of The Neos, Nomeansno, and Dayglo Abortions, and although they may not have gained the notoriety of their luminaries, they easily stood alongside them as one of the best bands in Victoria. Not bad for a thirteen-year-old and a couple of fourteen-year-olds! As most hardcore bands of the era, Jerk Ward was all but finished by 1985, having recorded a cassette (Flesh & Bones) and several demos. This record compiles these songs and presents them for the first time on vinyl. Spastic and angry, yet soaked with humor, the songs do stand the test of time and then some. This is truly a gem of a bygone era that is well worth picking up from both a historical standpoint as well as an unbelievably rockin’ one.
–Ty Stranglehold (Supreme Echo)
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INTERNATIONAL ESPIONAGE!:
Transmissions: CD
The packaging of this CD is really involved. The cover is hand screened and numbered and meant to resemble a spy dossier of some sort. The CD comes with a document with blacked out lines, an ID card, and a telegram, all of which appear to attempt to create some sort of Get Smart,good spy/bad spy back story. But it is mostly gibberish. There is no discernable narrative in all these extras and none of it says much about the band. The music contains fairly competent, staccato type pop punk riffs with a dance style keyboard endlessly riffing in the background, which seems to be what the kids like these days. I was ready to give it the benefit of the doubt until I foolishly consulted the internet and discovered that this band likens themselves to The Clash, The Cars, Devo, The B-52’s, XTC, The Cure, and The Tubeway Army. I don’t hear any of that here, particularly with regards to Devo. It is a dangerous comparison; there exists a tendency for high concept bands to liken themselves to other high concept bands. And anyone who can compare this band to XTC is cheating pretty heavily. Along with their CD, their website makes available disguises you can purchase and choose to be on the good guys’ side or the bad guys’ side. I am also turned off because they wear ski masks. Ski masks worked for the Rip Offs because it caused you to imagine there might be something in those masks you are afraid to be exposed to. Here, there is no perceivable danger.
–Billups Allen (Noise To Infinity, myspace.com/noisetoinfinityrecords)
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INSURGENTS, THE:
Never Surrender: 7” EP
Mid-tempo meat and potatoes hardcore here that tempers the dearth of anything unique about what they’re doing with enough energy and enthusiasm to keep ’em from sinking into the morass of millions mining the same patch of dirt.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Basement)
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INSOMNIO:
Happy Loneliness: 12”EP
This Spanish band comes off like if Motörhead were more concerned with their own personal condition (their fears, their happiness, their happy loneliness) and less about playing cards and bombin’ shit, though much less metal and heavily influenced by tortured, moody, ‘80s punk. No matter how punk this 12”EP is, Pin’s vocal delivery and the reverb it’s drenched in is Lemmy-fied with precision. This record was released in the States by No Way Records.
–Daryl Gussin (Trabuc/The Pression)
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INSOMNIAXE:
No Sleep: CD
Insomniaxe have a fairly standard psychobilly sound, but it doesn’t really come off as pedantic or run-of-the-mill. It gets close at times, mind you, but, overall, I thought that this was a decent outing on their part. I think the reason that I’m not quite astounded by this is because I want Insomniaxe to be tighter; on several of the tunes when they kick things into overdrive and the Fest of the Slapping of the Doghouse Bass begins, it’s as if they need a few seconds to figure out what tempo they want to be playing. But once they get a bit further into the tune, then everything is fine. I guess I just want a better sense of consistency. Given a bit of time, though, I think Insomniaxe could really be something—they’ve got the chops, but they need to carve the roast more precisely.
–The Lord Kveldulfr (Zodiac Killer)
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INDERIVIUM:
The Empty Injection: CD
By the looks of the front of the CD, I was expecting some form of metal—be it black, heavy, death, or whatever. It’s the way the band name (no idea what Inderivium means, by the way) is written and the colors used. I guess I was right, and I see from a search on the web that they’re considered “new metal.” I wouldn’t say there’s actually anything terribly new about it, but it wasn’t a bad CD. The vocals surprised me: there’s quite a bit of actual singing going on. There aren’t any lyrics included, but the singer is pretty easy to understand. Every once in awhile, when he sang some higher parts, it recalled for me The Mars Volta (although aside from that tiny comparison, nothing else did). In the second song the vocals got a little screamier, but it still seemed to me pretty “nice.” Nothing too dangerous happening. I can see it getting played on the radio. There’s a lot of double bass and some guitar solos—in one of the songs the solo had vocals over it, which would appeal to those of us not into such displays of showmanship. The fourth song had some talking in it that reminded me of “One” by Metallica. They seem to be a pretty solid band but it wasn’t very compelling for me. I prefer my metal thrashier, dirtier, and generally more crossover. However, for those who like the sound of metal but don’t care to get too crazy, this may be the match for you.
–Jennifer Federico (10 Foot Reach)
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HUNCHES:
Exit Dreams: CD
Gotta hand it to the In The Red folks; they sure know how to pick ‘em. These kids are mining the gray area between hardcore, art-noise, and ‘60s trash and sprinkling a woozy sensibility all over their efforts. One’s opinion of said efforts depends on one’s taste for such things, but few would be able to argue against the fact that they make one fucker of a racket.
–Jimmy Alvarado (In The Red)
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HUL:
Den Danske Ungdom…: LP
This record reminded me a lot of fellow Danish bands Amdi Petersens Armé and No Hope For The Kids, which I was comfortable with because both those bands are great. Then I found out that Hul contained members of Amdi Petersens Armé, NHFTK, and the Young Wasteners before they played in any of those other bands. While harnessing the power that would be in full effect in later bands, Hul is still punk-as-nails, but spazzy and noisier, not to mention more youthful sounding, hence the title which translates to “The Danish Youth.” If you’re a fan of any of the Danish bands mentioned above (which, of course, you are, right?), this is a piece of the puzzle that’s definitely worth listening to.
–Daryl Gussin (Hjernespind)
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HOW WE ARE:
To Teach a Hundred and One: LP
Easily one of the lamest band names ever. These guys remind me of bands like Undertow and Turning Point. Mid-tempo straight-edge style hardcore with a lot of break downs, heavy riffing, gang choruses, and the whole nine. The vocalist sounds like he’s being strangled at points. I imagine he’s wrecking his throat in the recording booth. They definitely bring nothing new to the table, and even though I’m not a huge fan of this, it’s obvious they believe in what they’re doing. If you like this type of music, then you may dig this. Comes with a huge booklet as well.
–Matt Average (Stop Whining Start Winning / Secret Jams, www.swx2records.com, secretjams@gmail.com)
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IN THE RED:
Volume 2: CD
This here is some very slick, alterna-rock from an ex-member of Gunmoll. This is no Gainesville gruff punk and would not sound out of place between Stone Temple Pilots and Foo Fighters on the radio. There is kind of a dated element to the recording overall, but the songs are pretty good. Pretty surprising, coming from the background of Hot Water Music and Leatherface’s, sound but I would imagine that fans of the parties involved will dig it no matter what.
–Mike Frame (Suburban Home)
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HOSTAGE CALM:
Demo: 7”
Pretty good Silent Majority or Kid Dynamite-style melodic hardcore. There seem to be a pile of bands doing this right now, so it’s not exactly a mindblow, but these dudes do it rather well.
–Dave Williams (Headcount, headcountrecords.com)
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HORNY VAMPYRE:
Self-titled: 10”
This sounds like it was made for kindergarteners on ecstasy. Casio sounds + drum machine dance beats + two annoying vocalists = Horny Vampyre. Borrowing from Dr. Zoidberg, “The music is bad, and you should feel bad.”
–Vincent Battilana (Hidden Apparatus)
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HOMBRINUS DUDES:
Politi-Kill: CD
I’m more of a let’s go-see-a-grind-band than let’s-go-listen-to-grind kind of guy. But I do buy it from time to time and do listen to it on occasion. Here is band I definitely would check out at a show. Two-man band. I dig that. They play fast. Check. But wait, their lyrics are thought provoking and political. Big plus. Reminiscent of early Napalm Death and Terrorizer. Cool in my book. A thinking man’s grindcore puts this band a level above the imitators.
–Donofthedead (Punks Before Profits)
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HINDI GODS:
Rarities: CD
Slinky, sun-damaged, mostly female-fronted rock music featuring Border Radio director Kurt Voss amongst the band members.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Stinging Pig, no address)
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HIFI SCIENCE:
HiFi Generation: CD-EP
More on the punk end of the pop punk/melodic punk genre. This band could benefit from some back-up vocals! Still, not bad. If this were a cereal, it’d be Honey Bunches of Oats. Crunchy (non-pop) texture with pieces of sugary junk (read: pop music) stuck on it! Please increase the sugary junk to crunchy stuff ratio!
–Maddy (self-released?, www.hifisilence.com)
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