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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
SAETA:
Else another Light Might Go Out: CD
I fully lay the blame at the feet of Spontaneous Disgust, but when I see a disc indicating cellos are part of the instrumentation, I expect some wild shenanigans to be afoot. Unfortunately, these kids are not of the same mind, preferring instead to mine soporific, mellow gloom. While the songs are well crafted, it lacks any heft to make it anything more than post-goth parlor music.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.saetamusic.com)
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SANCTIONS:
Home Sweet Home: CD
Not to be confused with the Sanctions (post Satanic Malfunctions) from the late eighties, early nineties. This Sanctions is from Tennessee, and are smitten with the sound of Tragedy and From Ashes Rise. So many bands have cloned these two aforementioned bands so much this style is loosing its impact. If you keep repeating the same stimulus over and over, it will eventually go by unnoticed. While Sanctions do have the ability to write songs that are sonic, they should focus a bit more on being original. Otherwise, they’re just another drop in the sea of Tragedy clone bands.
–Matt Average (Meat Cube Label/Anti-Corporate Music Inc, www.icfyrecords.com)
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SARAH BLACKWOOD:
Way Back Home: CD
A departure from her pop psychobilly princess vocals with the Creepshow. Sweet and heartfelt indie-folk-country vocals accompanied with an acoustic guitar on some songs, a simple country band on others. Closer to the Avett Brothers or Two Gallants than new school psycho punk.
–Jessica Thiringer (stomprecords.com)
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SHAKING HANDS, THE:
Self-titled: CD
If there’s a CD that I wanted to like this month it’s this one. Decent, passionate, social, political, and personal lyrics and they’re obviously into it. It’s that melodic sort of hardcore. But it’s a bit too clean and accessible for my tastes. My roommate said it sounded like H2O and that’s probably fair.
–Craven (A.D.D)
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SERVICE INDUSTRY, THE:
Keep the Babies Warm: CD
The quasi-Pink Floyd cover makes promises the faceless alt-rock inside can’t keep.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.sauspop.com)
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SCOTT MORGAN & MISS GEORGIA PEACH:
Self-titled: 7"
Scott Morgan, an icon at the forefront of the sonic assailment of ‘60s Detroit garage and contemporary of the Stooges, MC5, etc., teams up with Miss Georgia Peach, a soulful, husky-voiced redhead. Noisy garage trash with bluesy, ‘60s R&B vocals like the Detroit Cobras, the Hard Lessons and their ilk, including the West Coast incarnation of such classic sounds, the Bell-Rays.
–Jessica Thiringer (ramorecords.com)
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PUBBLICO OLTRAGGIO / MESS MESS MESS:
Split: CD
Two Italian bands punk bands here. Pubblico Oltraggio: Fairly by-the-book, polka-beat punk stuff with the occasional nod towards reggae thrown in to break up the monotony. Their lyrics are a little more substantive than their American parrot punk contemporaries, but, on the whole, they don’t leave too lasting an impression. Mess Mess Mess: They work along the same lines as their discmates here, but somehow manage to come up with songs that are a wee bit catchier. In all, neither band sucks, per se, ’cause, truth be told, they’re not bad at what they do, but if you’re looking for something wholly original or unique, yer gonna be hard pressed to find it here.
–Jimmy Alvarado (No Flags, no address)
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PROCLAMATION, THE:
Self-titled: CD-R
Fairly mellow, lo-fi indie punk with a touch of horns (without it actually being ska). Did/are you going to college (not a knock)? Are you a Plan-It-X type dude? Then this is probably what you’d want to listen to in the days before graduation as you worry about the future and curse yourself over every minor mistake you’ve made over the past few years.
–Joe Evans III (Let’s Pretend)
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PRETTY & NICE:
Get Young: CD
Joe Jackson and ELO knock back a bag of that legendary rockstar coke and head out to see Devo play their latest musical endeavor, “The Video Game Pop Aria.” Put another way, odd, off-kilter pop that sound like someone took some prime hooks and fed them into a very stressed out Atari computer. It’s a fuggin’ shame that “Tora Tora” hasn’t yet been identified as the massive hit it should be.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Hardly Art)
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POLECAT BOOGIE REVIVAL:
Self-titled: CD
Some of that ol’ Confederacy of Scum-style Southern punk on a label outta Wyoming. Features ex-members of Hellstomper and the tunes are in the same vein. Cover art looks a whole lot like some of those Mans Ruin releases the COS bands had, particularly the Antiseen reissue. At this point, you know if this is your cuppa or whether you are walking on by.
–Mike Frame (zodiackillerrecords.com)
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POINTS, THE:
Self-titled: CD
Yer basic thud punk here from a three-piece with a keyboardist where a bassist usually goes.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Mud Memory)
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PLASTIC STARS:
Sheena Gets Around b/w Shut Up: 7"
In case you’re wondering whether the concept of bands with names like Plastic/Neon/Napalm Hearts/Stars/Moons/Clovers doing songs with titles like “Sheena Gets Around” has any legs, i will duly report that the answer is still apparently “yes.” Sounds kinda like 20/20, but with punkish energy and impatience, and borrowing Helen Love’s keyboard (likely due to the punkish impatience). “Sheena Gets Around” seemed like it was over by the time i had gotten back comfy on the couch, but there were boobs on the innersleeve so perhaps i wasn’t paying proper attention. BEST SONG: “Sheena Gets Around” BEST SONG TITLE: “Sheena Gets Around” FANTASTIC AMAZING TRIVIA FACT: Run-off groove numbers seem to indicate that this record was manufactured at United Record Pressing, but when i hold it up to the light, it isn’t all brown and see-thru. What gives?
–Rev. Norb (No Front Teeth)
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PEGS, THE:
Livin’ at the Surf Hotel: 7"EP
Hopped-up NewBeachAlliance-styledOrangeCounty punk that smacks of weed, mainlining speed, lives on the rocks, rehab in on the horizon or in the rearview, and kelpy beach decay. In line with Smogtown, Smut Peddlers, Broken Bottles, and the Stitches. The buzzsaw guitars, gnashing drums, and cement mixer bass, all point to Hostage Records at the beginning of this century. Each time I play this, I can hear someone, somewhere getting a full sleeve on their arms to completely cover up some pretty bad decisions made earlier on in life. Reckless in all the right ways.
–Todd Taylor (No Front Teeth, www.nofrontteeth.net)
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PANIC MOVEMENT:
No Tomorrow: CD
I knew I was in trouble from the opening “Waoooowwww!” It’s never good to be reminiscent of Steppenwolf (unless we’re talking Hesse here).
–Megan Pants (Self-released, myspace.com/panicmovement)
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PALAVAS SURFERS:
Zombie b/w Surfin’: 7"
French surfabilly with a vocalist who sounds a lot like Johnny Lydon during P.I.L. Does Gearhead Records know its logo is being used by Be Fast!!! Records? Maybe Gearhead has a European subsidiary? This is where my mind wanders while listening to this record.
–Jessica Thiringer (myspace.com/befastlabel)
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PAINTED BIRD:
Always on Time and Never Light: 7” EP
A little pretentious, in a lo-fi Refused kind of way, but the packaging is astounding, which makes it even more pretentious, but when you break it down into little pieces, it’s outstanding.
–Jimmy Alvarado (RFC, The record is no help and the internet turns up nada. Call it a demo? Except who pays Pirate Press all that money for a demo?)
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OPTIONALS, THE:
Dead to Realise: CD
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Dave Grohl teamed up with Leatherface to provide interpretations of Bill Stevenson compositions that were weeded out from the Descendents/All’s set list for being way too goddamned dense and busy even for them—but are so catchy that someone oughta be taking a stab at playing them—here you go. Though the pop hooks are a plenty, you’ll be hard pressed to find extended pieces here to whistle while you work. Some mighty fine work on all fronts—from writing to proficiency to performance—has been put in here and, though the tunes may feel a bit cerebral at times, these Aussie kids pack one mean wallop.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.myspace.com/theoptionals)
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OPENIGHTMARE:
The Harder We Come: CD
How many records get bad reviews just because they got sent to the wrong reviewer? I apologize, OpeNightmare, but the style of music you play sounds terrible to my ears. I hear influences of Rancid, H20, and a vast array of other skate punk bands that plagued the scene in the ‘90s. I hear your songs and they have all the elements to be good to someone who listens to this genre, but not to me. So it goes.
–Bryan Static (Vegas)
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ONWARD PILGRIM:
Self-titled: CDEP
More alt-stuff here. These guys bring to mind Neil Young on occasion, though I’m thinkin’ that’s more ’cause of the guitar sound than anything else. The cover art is gorgeous.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.eugenerecords.com)
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NSU:
Self-titled: 7"
I love music that sounds like its makers only have a loose grip on sanity. “Ravenous slime scratches out contorted portraits/Expressions swirling dripping fading and amorphous.” That’s one of the more sensible lyrics the singer spits out in his throaty sneer. All the while, the guitar player isn’t so much playing guitar as he is sonically flagellating the rest of the music. I wouldn’t be surprised if the drummer and the bass player where drooling and bleeding from their ears when they recorded this. www.myspace.com/nasaspace666
–MP Johnson (Gradual Limbo)
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NIGHT HORSE:
The Dark Won’t Hide You: CD
Night Horse are good at what they do. Heavy riffing blues rock like Sabbath, Pentagram, but with more commercial appeal. Thick guitar sound, low end forever, and rumbling drums. Along with the previously mentioned bands I also hear a bit of Zeppelin and Electric-era Cult. The musicianship is tight, the songs rock like hell, and the vocals fit the sound. I’ve seen them live, and it’s apparent they want to be on stage. Better than many of the new bands playing this style.
–Matt Average (Tee Pee)
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NERVE SCHEME, THE:
Self-titled: CDEP
A few songs of Bad Religion/early-to-mid ‘90s style Epitaph punk rock, like I’d expect to hear on one of the old Punk-O-Rama comps. It’s okay.
–Joe Evans III (Jailhouse)
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MUJERES:
Demo: CD-R
Since they thanked cocaine and the blues on the insert, I was expecting some crap in the vein of Led Zeppelin. How thrilled I was to find out that this Spanish quartet didn’t go that route. This demo has five tracks that sound like they could’ve come straight off the Nuggets box set. Total garage psychedelia! If you’re into that sort of stuff—and I don’t blame you if you are—you won’t go wrong by giving Mujeres a chance. (My girlfriend tells me that their name means “women” in Spanish.)
–Vincent Battilana (hombrebuenodiscos.blogspot.com)
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MUFFLER CRUNCH:
Arc Welder: CD
This here is some AmRep noise veering into straight-up metal. Makes me think that the title might be a tribute to one of their favorite bands. Features a guest spot from a member of Priestess. Very interesting female vocals from the drummer of this Canadian two piece. If you like it heavy, ugly, and noisy, you will wanna be all over this.
–Mike Frame (lastdragrecords.com)
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MEASURE [SA], THE:
Songs about People…And Fruit N’ Shit: EP
I’m not used to having trouble coming up with something to say about records I like, but I guess there’s a first time for everything. The Measure has been releasing a slew of folky yet roughly edged material for a while, and there are no deep departures from that here. But, this is my favorite record of theirs to date, by far, yet I can’t really think of how to really explain it. The fact that it’s seems a touch catchier? Maybe more records should be made the morning after seeing The Bananas? We will never know. Aside from I enjoy this.
–Joe Evans III (Don Giovanni)
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