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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
SNAKE, THE CROSS, THE CROWN, THE:
Mander Salis: CD
This album is nothing if not ambitious—combine the soaring vocals of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke or Jeff Buckley and Elliott’s instrumental experimentation and you’ll have an idea of some of the reference points. It’s a headphone record in the best sense of the term; this album rewards people who own a good pair and can hear the nuances and subtleties, yet still sounds awesome on a cheap pair of speakers. The problem with this record is that while it’s ambitious and more musically complex than the average indie band, it doesn’t actually sound that different. While I wish I could take it on its own merits as a single work, it’s hard because the album sounds young—it’s not that these songs are immature so much as they are bursting with ideas, some of which seem incompletely expressed, sketches of musical brilliance which don’t necessarily last long enough to indicate whether more rewarding material lay further along down that path. Likewise, the lyrical content is all about transcendence, transformation, overcoming—the big stuff that more mature bands seem to forget as they grow older and try to describe how lives become more complex and more difficult to explain. These lyrical themes are more commonly the province of younger, less experienced and more earnest bands which haven’t yet been given sufficient opportunities to find themselves as jaded and detached as characters in a Richard Ford novel… or have somehow managed to side-step that loss of innocence and hope. I suspect that’s part of the reason why bands don’t (and, arguably, shouldn’t) last forever—the language required to describe youth is fundamentally different from that which is required to describe the transition from youth to middle age; trying to speak the old dialect seems foolish and the new one simply doesn’t translate with any significance. I recognize the language spoken here, much as I recognize Spanish being spoken after a few years away from California and several years after speaking it in any meaningful way; I can piece together what is being said here even though my conjugations are rusty, even though I don’t remember as much of the vocabulary as I used to. With all that said, even though fans of the aforementioned artists will probably find much here to like—and I’ve spent quite a bit of time appreciating this record as well—I’m curious whether the next album will show further progress and additional exploration of the more interesting musical ideas expressed here (much as Elliott’s False Cathedrals was leagues beyond U.S. Songs in its complexity and depth) or whether it will also suggest other directions that might have yielded more curious fruit.
–Puckett (Equal Vision)
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SLAUGHTERHOUSE FOUR, THE:
Broken Hearts and Broken Strings: CD
Weak, flat punk with weak, flat vocals.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.slaughterhousefour.com)
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SKITSYSTEM:
Allt E Skit: LP
You know how when your yuppie hipster neighbors are having a party, and all their yuppie hipster friends want to hear some Euro dance pop, so they play it so loud that there’s nowhere in your apartment where you can sit without having to hear the Euro dance pop, not even the bathroom or a closet, and you need something to drown it out? Skitsystem is perfect for occasions just like that. Hammering, furious Swedish hardcore that nods to traditional Swedish hardcore bands but definitely forges its own sound. This is a compilation of older releases, and they’ve only gotten better since then.
–Josh (Havoc)
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SKINTONES, THE:
Rock Scene Problem: CD
I really liked the opener, “H-Bomb,” but the rest was just a little too “big rock sound” for me to pay much attention to.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Crustacean)
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SKATE KORPSE:
Self-Titled: 7" EP
I like what they’re going after. 2004’s answer to JFA’s Blatant Localism, perhaps with some McRad and Clay Wheels thrown in for good measure. In other words, they want to resuscitate skate rock in its original form. (Think Barking Trucks and Blazing Wheels, not the soundtrack to that asshole of a movie, Grind.) The instrumental, “Badlands,” is fantastic, but as a whole, Skate Korpse lacks the deep and fluid styles that past bands have already developed and mastered. If I saw them live and they sound like they do on record, I’d have to yell out, “More Los Olvidados in the monitors, dudes!” Decoded, that means I want it more snarling, more visceral. I want more kinky twelve-foot backyard pools to be directly in their music, not just the words they’re singing. Definitely has some potential.
–Todd Taylor (Punx Before Profits)
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SILENCIO:
Dead Kings: CD
This sounds like the Trans-Siberian Orchestra with no holiday cheer and evidence of too many John Zorn albums in their collection.
–Jimmy Alvarado (The Mountain Collective for Independent Artists, Ltd.)
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SICK56/HIGGINS ++:
Split: 7"
Sick56: UK street punk in the vein of Sick on the Bus meets A Global Threat. Higgins ++: The “++” means Sick56 and they team up with some dude or band named Higgins. An updated version and parody of the Dead Kennedys California Uber Alles titled Cool Britannia Uber Alles. On the heaviest gram pink vinyl I have ever seen for a 7”.
–Donofthedead (JSNTGM)
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SICK OF IT ALL:
Outtakes for the Outcast: CD
Here is a band that has outlasted many bands before and after them, so I am not totally offended by this in-between release. It’s a collection of tracks from assorted comps, b-sides, bonuses and previously unreleased. This New York outfit should need no introductions. Being the current leaders and, to a certain degree, grandfathers of the hardcore movement, they have not strayed far from their initial formula. Play hard and make the audience feel it. I can hear this band’s music from far away and nine times out of ten I can guess that it is them. If you are like me and only have bits and pieces, this will definitely add to the collection.
–Donofthedead (Fat)
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SICK OF IT ALL:
Outtakes for the Outcast: CD
An odds and sods compilation from one of NYC’s longest running hardcore acts. Includes material starting as early as ‘93 (the DJ Lethal of House of Pain remix of “Just Look Around”), on into ‘94 (covers of Sham 69’s “Borstal Breakout,” and “Straight Ahead” from bassist’s Craig Ahead’s first band of the same name). Also includes covers of The Misfits (“All Hell Breaks Loose”), Hüsker Dü (“Target”) and still more Sham 69 (“Rip Off”). Despite the diversity of the material they chose to cover, somehow the band still manages to make every song sound the same. How do they do that? It must be that city water.
–greg (Fat)
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SHAKEDOWNS, THE:
Self-Titled: CD
Take a little Hives, thrown in some Northwestern nouveau-punk and add an Endino production and you get this.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Morphius)
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SERMON, THE:
Volume: CD
Stop me if you’ve heard this one in the last twenty years or so, but i think the hottest rockin’ album of the month is on... Alternative Tentacles? Straight-up garage a la the Makers or Cynics (minus the fixation on the tambourine as an instrument of male pleasure), with the operative difference being that they actually print the lyrics—and they’re not about how the singer’s penis is actually that of a large, fearsome, stylish wolf or anything of that nature, either. Wacky! What can i say? A garage album that would not sound at all out of place taped on the back of the same cassette as you have your Knockout Pills album taped on the front of. What i find most amusing is how the songs with outright sociopolitical content—“No Beast So Fierce,” “Luzerne County,” “Hand to Hand”—are smirkfully reminiscent of the two-“worship”-songs-minimum that i understand performers are required to commit to before obtaining gigs at Christian coffeehouses. All the same, i can’t say as i saw this ‘un coming. Keen. BEST SONG: “Tender Sin,” but i also really like the psychedelic “Surprise,” although it kind of pissed me off that i spent so much time trying to figure out who originally did it before i saw that it was written by the drummer. BEST SONG TITLE: “491”—what can i say? Prime numbers command respect! FANTASTIC AMAZING TRIVIA FACT: If the song “Exterminator” is, as it appears, to be about the William S. Burroughs book of the same name, my understanding is that it should end with an exclamation point.
–Rev. Norb (Alternative Tentacles)
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SCURVY DOGS:
It’s All Gonna End: CD
These San Francisco punks have a sound that I would say fits in perfectly with the music that was being hosted in the now-defunct Burnt Ramen and Mission Records, but may not fit in with what I see booked at Gilman. I’m not a local of the Bay Area by any means, but from my personal experiences the past couple of decades and first-hand accounts from friends, this is my perception. A fast punk sound that has dirty almost gutter punk edge to it that reminded me of the Battalion of Saints. Screamed vocals over fast guitar parts that are played precisely but can fall apart at any moment. The drummer sounds as if he had one too many speedballs and bangs away trying to release all the built up adrenaline. If this is how they sound in a studio, imagine how they will sound live. Brutal.
–Donofthedead (Rodent Popsicle)
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SCRAGS, THE:
A Three Act Trash’n’roll Show in Mono: Demo CD
The title of this demo pretty much says it all. It’s three trash’n’roll songs that sound like they were recorded in someone’s basement. The Scrags tread the same ground as The Humpers or The Loud Pipes. It’s beer soaked rock’n’roll. On one hand, it’ll get a punk rocker’s foot tapping, but on the other hand, if The Scrags played the bar in a bowling alley, the greasers there would probably dig it. Not totally original, but well done.
–Sean Carswell (www.thescrags.com)
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SATAN’S PILGRIMS:
Plymouth Rock: CD
I’ve had a soft spot for surf music ever since I became fascinated with both Agent Orange and JFA, so this collection, an apparent “best of” set from a Northwestern group who were contemporaries, but apart from, the grunge scene that took over that area of the country in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, was a nice bit of listening for me. It’s all surf instrumentals—thirty tracks worth—and they’re mighty fine tunes at that. I’d heard the name before, but had never bothered to investigate, so this was a nice, welcome surprise. Cool take on the Godfather theme, too.
–Jimmy Alvarado (MuSick)
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RUMBLESEAT:
Discography: CD
A few years ago, at the height of my appreciation for all things Hot Water Music, a friend of mine taped a few Rumbleseat songs for me, telling me that it was a country side project of Chuck and Chris from Hot Water Music. It started off with the song “Picker,” and I wasn’t too impressed. The tape continued with “Saturn in Crosshairs” and it made me very glad that I kept listening. I feel the same way about this CD. The upbeat songs, whether they’re about getting drunk or being “crazier than a shithouse rat,” are pretty hokey, like Hee Haw but not as funny. I’d rather listen to a whole album of the slow burners like “Trestles.” It’s full of everything that’s been missing from the recent Hot Water Music material, and it’s amazing. In the end, even though there are songs I don’t like, I wore out my Rumbleseat tape and I’m glad I have a replacement for it.
–Josh (No Idea)
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ROSETTA WEST:
X Descendant: CD
“Savage and psychedelic blues” which, while occasionally psychedelic, is practically never savage and bears more resemblance to Creedence Clearwater Revival than to either X or the Descendents. I suspect the psychedelic part comes from ingestion of that kind of LSD that makes every little guitar doodle seems really fuckin’ awesome, not to mention the worst version ever of “Shakin’ All Over.” Bayou doodlerock.
–Cuss Baxter (Alive)
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REPERCUSSION:
And the Winner Is...: CD
“Waiting in the alley with bats in our hands / Standing by the exit ready to smash your face in / Blood–stained brass knuckles taped for fit / Once we start this beatdown, we won’t quit...” Those lyrics alone sums up what I think of this band. East Coast jock hardcore.
–Donofthedead (Spook City)
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RED FLAG 77:
Stop the World: CD
Some mighty fine Limey punk rock here that sometimes sounds like a weird crossbreed of the Hard-Ons, Leatherface, and some old oi band I can’t quite place, especially on “Time Has Been Called,” and they manage to do justice to the Clash’s “What’s My Name,” a feat considerably more difficult than one would guess. Some work was put into making this, and it shows.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Captain Oi)
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REATARDS, THE:
Bedroom Disasters: CD
The Reatards are a band that has gained a lot of notoriety since they broke up, as they have gone on to turn underground music on its ear in bands like the Lost Sounds and Destruction Unit, but this collection of their early stuff is proof that they should be remembered on their own merits and not just as a footnote. Wait a second. What am I doing? Am I trying to analyze the Reatards? Forget that. Here’s what you need to know: it’s a forty-minute mess of wild, unhinged Memphis slop made by kids who probably weren’t old enough to drive. The sound quality is better than you might expect considering that most of it was recorded in a bedroom onto a cassette tape that has spent a few years in a dusty shoebox. It’s worth getting just for the song “Teenage Hate.”
–Josh (Empty)
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REATARDS, THE:
Bedroom Disasters: CD
High expectations: legendary teenage band with only two full-length albums, members all in other great bands now, release a compilation of singles and “lost” songs from cassette tapes found in dusty boxes. Expectations met. This is rock and roll.
–Speedway Randy (Empty)
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REACTORS, LOS:
Dead in the Suburbs: CD
After decades of releases featuring bands aping the “Killed by Death” sound, Rip Off finally hits pay dirt by managing to secure some of the real thing. This is the recorded works of a late ‘70s/early ‘80s punk band from Oklahoma, of all places, who at the time of their existence managed only a few singles. Those are included here, along with a live set to round things off. In all, some great tunes here and kudos are due to Lowery for making ‘em available again.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Rip Off)
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RANCID VAT:
We Hate You All the Way from Texas: CD
These white trash motherfuckers hate me all the way from Texas. But I hate Texas, so everything kind of evens out. The music has a thrashy, power-chorded barbecue flavor. In fact, yes, I am going to compare them to barbecue sauce: sometimes you love it, sometimes you hate it. They say they’ve been around since ‘81, and you would think they would have perfected a Ramones cover over that time, but instead they butcher it with just enough reverb on the vocals to fuck it up, although they make up for it with track six, “I’ll Never Make It Out of This World Alive.” All in all, this album isn’t all that bad. Gabe Rock
–Guest Contributor (Steel Cage)
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RAJBOT:
Self-Titled: 7"
Barely irritating experimental hip-hop on marbled vinyl. The ones without the raps are better.
–Cuss Baxter (Sedition)
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Q AND NOT U:
Book of Flags b/w X-Polynation: 7"
Spaz post-punk dancecore from this trio from DC. Musically off-kilter and angular with almost chant-like vocals. The “Dischord Sound” is slightly evident but not overbearing. This was released in September of ‘03 and recorded at Inner Ear with Ian himself. Very dynamic and quirky. You think you can’t dance to punk? Well, ya fucking can. Definitely worth picking up.
–Buttertooth (Dischord)
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PONIES, THE:
Self-Titled: 7"
Dunno if it’s all that desert heat or the fact that they live so close to a big hole in the ground, but Arizona cranks out some mighty interesting bands. Noisy, silly, and weird in all the right ways, these kids are.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Knifechase)
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