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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
AGNOSTIC FRONT:
For My Family: 7” EP
I stopped paying any serious attention to these guys right around Cause for Alarm, when they started hugging too tightly to them metal chuggas. Peeked in when they reformed and found their nouveau “oi” chanty sound about as interesting as their metal. Now, a decade later, I figured it was about time to check in with ’em again. Based on what’s going on here—a kinda meshing of the metal and the chanty stuff—it appears I haven’t been missing much.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.bridge9.com)
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AGGRAVATION, THE:
Self-titled: CD
If you think eighth-note bass rhythms and an occasional minor chord = The Wipers, then, whoopee ding, i present unto you the French Wipers. Me, i’m more inclined to say Les Marked Men at present, although i suppose the smart money makes some kind of reference to the Clorox Girls ((who are already too French by proxy for their own good)) at this point. Actually, now that i’m actually reading the lyrics, i think i’ll change my order to be a French Wipers who really sound more like the Marked Men or Clorox Girls and learned everything there is to know about lyrical structure from the first Discharge album. Par example: “People says I’m greedy / People says I’m greedy / but I have my friend / my German friend / now I’m happy / I can travel / now I will travel for free / now I’m in my train / yes I’m in my train / I’m gonna see Poland / I’m gonna see Poland.” That is the lyrical entirety of the first song. Somebody call up Greg Sage and get his sign-off on this, won’t you? BEST SONG: “Violence” BEST SONG TITLE: “No Girls” FANTASTIC AMAZING TRIVIA FACT: Came with a Biographie!
–Rev. Norb (Lollipop)
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WHITE YORK:
Self-titled: CD EP
Another demo from another band. This time, the band sounds like Hot Water Music meets Grey Area meets emo-pop. It’s a four song EP whose production sounds pretty good. The band has one primary singer and lots of backup vocals. Been here, done this.
–Kurt Morris (Self-released)
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WAX MUSEUMS:
Self-titled: 7"
First off, this band did one of the most annoying things that a band putting out a record could do, such as not including lyrics with the record. I despise such things. Secondly, Wax Museums instantly reminded me of The Ramones with their “yeah-yeahs” and “oh-ohs.” The record has an old reverb sound on it which gave a nice touch. I would like to say more about them, but there is no address on the record, no lyrics, and no band members listed. I’m hoping they just forgot to stuff the record that was sent to me.
–Guest Contributor (Douche master)
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WATERSHED:
Three Chords and a Cloud of Dust II: CD
Pretty strong, radio-ready power pop for fans of Marvelous 3, American Hi Fi, and the like. This stuff has to be really well done to be worth a damn and this band has some huge hooks. Can’t tell if it is an actual live album or a “live” album, but that seems to be what they are going for. Much better than I would have thought and one of those bands where the huge major label style production actually helps the sound.
–Mike Frame (Idol)
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VOIDS, THE:
Sounds of Failure , Sounds of Hope: CD
Melodicore that is very distinctly SoCal sounding with an early ‘80s feel. At times, they bring thoughts of a more punk version of Tsunami Bomb. The vocals will often be compared to Beki Bondage from Vice Squad, but I hear, at times, Julie from the early ‘80s Santa Monica band Sin 34. The vocals are delivered with a phonetic precision. I can hear and understand the lyrics clearly without the aid of the lyric sheet. They play songs that are mid-tempo to fast that do not come off generic. They seem to know where to find the hook and have melody in their songs. I am not quickly bored listening to this. The songs seem genuinely heartfelt. Listened to this numerous times and I see their name on some of the bigger shows. They are making a name for themselves. Most likely, I would never see them live, but if I do, I would not be bummed.
–Donofthedead (Dr Strange)
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VARIOUS ARTISTS:
Summer Sounds—Four Reasons for the Season, Vol. 2: CD
Four bands offer their variations on Lookout/Mutant Pop style pop punk. Roll call… With their musical chops and use of the Ramones-core formula, the Adorkables clearly have advanced degrees in Whoa Oh Oh Oh Oh-ology. But just as not every BA in creative writing yields a great novel, those whoa oh degrees don’t translate to real world success. “21st Birthday” seems too much like a finger-wagging morality tale—you, object of romantic love, have committed the ultimate sin of doing something of which I disapprove and to compound the situation, you did it with someone other than me. Maybe if you really dig Lillingtons-style vocals you can overlook this. Next up are the Kilowatts, the best band on the disc (and not to be confused with the Kill-A-Watts of Rip Off Records fame). These gents mix lo-fi pop punk, think Automatics or After School Special, with an appreciation for more traditional pop embellishments, especially the piano break and handclaps on “Without Your Love.” Fine fare on all four cuts, though I’d love to hear them with production/arrangement guidance from James Cahill (Kung Fu Monkeys). In the number three spot are the Screeching Weasel-worshipping Sheckies. They’ve got Ben Weasel in their guitar sound. They’ve got Ben Weasel in their whiney vocals, and they’ve got Ben Weasel in their “I’m not such a bright dude” lyrics (“Knucklehead,” “Sumpin’ Wrong with My Brain,” and “Retarded”). They don’t sink to the annoying depths of, say, the Nobodys, but I’m not among those who think the world needs more Screeching Weasel in its collective diet. The Bluffingtons are in the cleanup spot. They get off to awkward start with “Psycho Retard Beach Party Pt. 3.” The title suggests a surf song but the band opts for metal. They try to cleanse the pallet with the conventional pop punk fodder of their other songs, but such efforts are in vain. Final tally: one for four.
–Mike Faloon (Cabana 1, www.cabana1records.com)
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VARIOUS ARTISTS:
Mauled by Tigers: This Was Supposed to Be a Celebration: LP
There’s a lot of eye-rolling, hipster, art schlop here, but there’s also some really great bands playing really great songs. Sadly, those songs can easily be found on other great recordings of theirs (Go buy both the Canadian Rifle 7”s right now!). But if you went to Mauled By Tigers, what’s a better souvenir of a music festival than a comp.? And how can I complain when it contains three bands that placed in my top five performances of the entire weekend?
–Daryl Gussin (Do The Math)
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UNCUT:
Modern Currencies: CD
A strange mixture of strains of emo and alt-rock, with shimmery Hüsker/Sonic Youth guitar noodling and raspy, restrained vocals. The result manages to simultaneously sound inviting, catchy, and leave you feeling like your stomach’s gonna lose its contents at any second.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.paperbagrecords.com)
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TWISTED HAZARD:
Know War No Peace Know Death: CD
Hardcore with a poppy edge to it from these guys who, from the picture, look to be all of sixteen, tops. Having once been in a band that played 2 Live Crew covers just to piss people off, I can totally understand the gadfly intentions of “Kitchen Bitch,” but wildly misogynistic lyrics with no sense of irony or humor might not be the most effective tack of taking the piss out of people who take themselves too seriously.
–Jimmy Alvarado (twisted_hazard@hotmail.com)
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TREBLE DAMAGE:
Self-titled: CD
You know you’re in trouble when an independent release has a parental advisory tag on the cover. This is eleven tunes of ‘90s style hard rock/grunge with some “deep” lyrics featuring a member of Enuff Znuff and a fill-in Smashing Pumpkins drummer.
–Mike Frame (Treble Damage)
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TOUCHERS:
The Underwater Fascist: CD
This is surprisingly pleasant; it’s kinda country-ish, punkish alt-rock. That sounds like it should be horrible, doesn’t it? But no, only in a remote place like Bozeman, MT would you be able to find people who could do it legitimately and without irony. At times, it gets a little psychobilly and sometimes a bit Neil Young-ish, and as much as I wanna talk shit and hate this, it’s pretty good. I think the reason I can’t help but like it is because it’s so honest. The dudes in this band are playing exactly what they want to play, without giving a fuck what anyone else thinks, and really, what more can anyone expect out of a band besides honesty?
–ben (Wantage USA)
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TIME TO ESCAPE:
Self-titled: 7” EP
Minimal, to-the-point hardcore that brings to mind the early East Coast scene that inspired them. Cheese grater raw, these guys are, with strangely catchy tunes, and they’re plenty pissed to boot.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Grave Mistake)
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THIEVES AND ASSASSINS:
Martyr Brigade: CD
Melodic hardcore from Long Island that kinda reminds me of Drive-Thru Records bands from a while back (though while a little slick, this isn’t nearly as wussy). It’s okay, though I think these songs would be much better if they were half the length.
–Joe Evans III (Iron Pier)
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TERROR POP:
Guerrilla Warfare: CD
I never listened to Terror Pop before, so when I was doing my meager bits of research that I do for reviews, I checked out their history, and discovered that it was quite extensive, and promptly felt sort of stupid for never having heard of them. That aside, this record is the bee’s fucking knees. The bop-o-meter went through the roof from the opening notes, and with only minor derailments stayed there for the half hour or so that this record played. This is Rancid and Sweatmaster put together in the teleporter for transport and emerging on the other end as some wildly deformed incarnation of each in the guise of one beast.
–The Lord Kveldulfr (United Flesh, Terror Pop: www.terrorpop.se)
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TELEPHONE:
Automatic: CD
What do you do when you’re no longer in the Dandy Warhols? You start a band called Telephone and spend a year making this album. Automatic is a twelve song album of sugary synthpop that has some quality hooks. However, it also annoyed me with its lack of anything substantially new to share, nor did it do an exceptional job of rehashing past synthpop acts in an successful manner. With neither of those to offer, what’s left? I listened to this over and over and over in an effort to “give it a chance,” for the sake of trying to think of what to write for this review. After all that, I just crapped this out instead.
–Kurt Morris (Cobra)
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SVARTENBRANDT:
Sista Dan’i Rampljuset: 7"
Grade A Swedish hardcore punk. It’s great to hear what these guys sounded like before their full-length- Från Andra Sidan Spåren…. They definitely had the rudiments down and then decided to spice up the mix with all of the amazing, bizarre vocal, backing vocal, and guitar work that they utilized on Från. Word is Från should be released on vinyl this fall and I can’t fucking wait.
–Daryl Gussin (Arschkarte, a-karte-records@gmx.de)
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SUZUKI SMITH:
Amber Alert: CD-R
Take the vocals of some sort of crossbreed of Matt Freeman from Rancid and Shawn Stern from Youth Brigade and put it over the music of mediocre early skate punk and you get Suzuki Smith. Somewhere, right now, JFA is spinning in their collective grave.
–Bryan Static (www.suzukismith.net)
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STRANGER, THE:
Prison Called Life: 7”
Garage rockabilly that reminds me a lot of Custom Made Scare, The Neckbones, and, on “Missing Link,” a little like Deadbolt. The B Side is a slightly rough-edged version of NickCave’s “Thirsty Dog” that I’m sure if I saw them play live, I’d be into, but as a recording, I wouldn’t put it on again. Overall, I give this a rating of “Meh.”
–Steveo (Haunted Town)
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STOOGES, THE:
The Weirdness: CD
First studio record from this reconstituted outfit, with Mike Watt anchoring the bass duties. Yes, there are a few songs where maybe Iggy should not have tried to reach for that high note. But, overall, the vocals are cool and the band really shreds it up. Producer Steve Albini wisely just lets the band play, without adding any slick reverb effects. I’m digging “My Idea of Fun,” “She Took My Money,” and “I’m Fried.” Seek out the vinyl version with four extra tracks. Add ‘em all to your MP3 doohickey and you got close to an hour of steamy Stoogy goodness!
–Sean Koepenick (Virgin)
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SLOW BURNING CAR:
Blowback: CD
The CD starts out “Fee Fi Fo Fum” and then launches into an aggressive punk/metal song. The singer’s voice sounded weak to me at first, but not too bad. It’s a little too shrill and high, though. The second song is nuevo psychedelic that sounds a little like one of their cited influences, the band Love with “la-la-la-la” choruses and even a sax solo. Not bad. The third song is folky acoustic guitar with a fast drumbeat, then launching into some more distorted guitar for the choruses. Pretty good, sounds kinda like Queens Of The Stone Age. Fourth song sucked. Clichéd modern hard rock/metal. Next song sounds like a power pop cliché. Not good. Next song starts as a light acoustic ballad and launches into slowly played power chords in a very conventional pop song structure. I’m starting to get bored. The next few songs are precisely played but nothing original sounding. Overall, not bad, but nothing that would compel me to play this again.
–Donofthedead (Trifonic Laboratories)
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SLEEP WALKERS R.I.P.:
Self-titled: 7”
Music sounds like the soundtrack to a bad indie movie about “punks.” I think I’m picturing this because it’s background music to me. It’s like one of those filler bands you would book for a show to fill the gaps. They are good enough to have play at a show and hang out to, but they will most likely not be your favorite band on the bill. Not particularly catchy, but not particularly awful either. The singer is from The Triggers and if you like that band, chances are you’re going to have a liking for this one as well. The lyrics are about serious subjects and would have been much more rad if it was executed by a country band. For example, sing the following words in your head like it was sang by someone from the deep woods of the south, “watched my mom die sister cry brother go to the pen’ friends od’d and killed by drunks or shot themselves to death.” Good, right?
–Guest Contributor (Dead Ideas)
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SHOW ME ACTION:
We Know Hawks from Handsaws: CD
Slick, polished record from this Long Island five-piece. I tried to get into this, but it still ended up reminding me of Incubus or Puddle of Mud or something in that vein. Just not my cup of tea, boys. But I wish you well in your future endeavors.
–Sean Koepenick (Demo)
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RINGERS:
Detention Halls: CD
These dudes from Boston have no problem stepping directly into the vacant shoes left by Bent Outta Shape, and then boldly moving forward in them. They seem a pretty good fit, too. Just imagine if B.O.S. had evolved a couple more albums, essentially it’s what this new Ringers album sounds like. Wicked hooks that stay with you for days, the guts you hear in songs by Drunken Boat or One Reason, all glued together with these jangly, Springsteeny guitars that just make your ears throb, but you still want more. This is one of those records that you should listen to real loud on the way to the beach.
–ben (1234 Go!)
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RED VOICE CHOIR:
A Thousand Reflections: CD
Sort of dreamy, moody, and dark music that feels symphonic and dramatic. Vocals that can be compared a lot to Siousxie And The Banshees with a pained delivery. Every bit death rock and gothic, but is mature with a level of competent musicianship and a perceived long length of time taken to actually craft the songs. You can hear a complexity of layering and delivery that does not seem rushed to press. It may not be my primary cup o’ tea of genres, but I would most likely enjoy this band in a live setting. They’re a band that I can see making waves in the future.
–Donofthedead (Atakra)
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