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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
AVENGERS:
Self-titled: 2 x CD
Double disc collection, both remastered and sounding crisp and punchy. Expanded liner notes and pictures make this upgrade totally worth it. I won’t give you a history lesson on the band here. If you don’t know who they are, I’m going to send Steve Jones over to your house to “kick down the doors!” Furthermore, if you don’t get a chill down your spine when you crank songs like “We Are the One” and “Cheap Tragedies” up to ten, then you should check your pulse. The band is still going strong today (with a modified lineup), so buy this directly off their site and you will be one happy camper.
–Sean Koepenick (Water)
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AMERICAN LIES:
Listen, That’s Disco!: 12” EP
This record has six songs on it and they’re all really good. The songs are also all on side one. Side two has no songs on it, but it does have a sweet image of two dudes who look like they’re out of Saturday Night Fever, disco dancing with Stormtrooper helmets on. The track listing is also there, on top of grooveless vinyl. Everyone in this band is talented as hell. The songs are all very catchy, and they pretty much draw you inside of them. Listening to this, I feel like I’m in the same room with the band. Honest and real lyrics are sung through strong vocals that make it easy to understand where the songwriter is coming from. Songs about questioning your existence and growing old, but not wanting to let go of your youth. Good stuff.
–Nighthawk (Autentico Records, americanlies.bandcamp.com)
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ALICE BAG:
Violence Girl: 7”EP
I’m much more fond of looking at music as a continuum instead of isolated times and places. Instructive history shouldn’t be trivia and artifact. That way, as a listener, I can actively participate, draw from my own experiences and enjoy music—even if it was released years ago—as a living, instructive thing. Alice Bag could have easily been solely a significant, static jewel in the crown of first wave L.A. punk and called it a day. Instead, she continues to make art through today and this 7” is a nice reminder of that, culling songs from five bands that Alice actively participated in: Bags, Castration Squad (live), Stay At Home Bomb, Goddess 13, and Cholita. The music Alice plays just isn’t one thing. It’s punk, goth, rootsy and mellow, angry, funny, violent, and tender. And that way, we all win when Alice uses this refracting jewel of her talent and perseverance, lighting up and crystallizing great music for three decades. An excellent short collection of songs by a fantastically talented lady.
–Todd Taylor (Artifix)
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AGATHA:
Self-titled: 12”EP
I’m not of the belief that political conviction is absent from the punk community any more now than it has always been. That doesn’t give apathy a free pass, but I also don’t disregard the countless bands who continue to write meaningful, insightful music. With crystal clear perfection, Agatha fit into my mindset of contemporary, infuriated, passionate, and knowledgeable bands using punk as a release and as a platform to express radical ideas accompanied by inventive musicianship. A main difference with Agatha is that the lyric sheet not only provides the lyrics and song explanations, but some autobiographical context that give each track even more power. In terms of dynamic, hardcore punk; the four parts of this band are doing their each individual task perfectly. The reliable, driving rhythm section, the wild guitar stylings, three different vocalists with very different voices melding together, and the lyrical content. They’re fucking pissed, and they explain why.
–Daryl Gussin (Rumbletowne, rumbletowne.com)
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86ERS:
Carry the Fire (Discography 1999-2011): CD
Here we have the twelve-year anthology of rough and tumble punk band out of Portland, Oregon. Mid to fast tempo gruff punk about drinking and how shitty it is out there. And more drinking. For boozers of the highest order, they can write a great song. This is really good stuff. I guess it is inevitable that I compare them to another Portland band. The biggestPortland band. I don’t throw Poison Idea comparisons around lightly, but these guys tread the same territory and hold up fine. Not as good (not many are), but definitely good enough to keep on the lookout for more.
–Ty Stranglehold (The 86ers)
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WYMYNS PRYSYN:
Self-titled: 7” EP
The rhythms here don’t get faster than mid-tempo, and even then there’s a sludgy quality to ‘em. Reverb-saturated vocals and a generally overdriven production round out a sound that’s dark and violent without resorting to typical hardcore tropes.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Scavenger Of Death, scavengerofdeathrecords@gmail.com)
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WSZY:
Miliony Oszukanych: CD
I am not sure I’ve come across a CD that has ever left me more befuddled. Apparently, WSZY hails from Poland and appears to have been active from 2001 until 2006. I use these terms loosely, as every bit of text on the CD packaging and any mention I could find on the interwebs was indecipherable to these western eyes, as were all of their song titles and lyrics. What I can tell you about WSZY is they have a very Welcome to 1984 sound, if you are familiar with that classic compilation. Other than not being able to relate at all to the lyrical content of the disc due to the language barrier, the music left me a little cold as well. In more than a few places, the band made an unfortunate choice in including a dub-reggae breakdown to the proceedings, which really just took away from what would have been a passable eastern-European hardcore release. To be fair, I’m personally not the biggest fan of dub and reggae even when it’s done competently, so I fear that I was at a real disadvantage with this release. If mid-eighties eastern bloc hardcore is your bag though, this disc may well be worth seeking out.
–Garrett Barnwell (myspace.com/WSZY)
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WORSHIP THIS!:
The Nard Years: 7”
If you like Red City Radio, Nothington, or Iron Chic, then this is right up your alley. Gruff-voiced pop punk with tight musicianship and post-pop punk song writing. You know what you’re getting here, if nothing else.
–Bryan Static (Messy Life/Seven Inch, seveninchrecords.com)
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WORRIERS:
Past Lives: 7"
For the most part, Past Lives hits the ground running, though I think the songs could stand to be a little more immediate. A little more gripping. Made up of some folks from bands such as Night Birds and the Measure, these three songs toe the line between shuddering melodies and a delicacy that rarely made or makes appearances in their other bands. And while it may just be me, Lauren Denitzio’s lyrics seem more confident here, or at least less obtuse, making them possibly the strongest element to this record. The closer, “Deconstruction Site,” carries the lightest touch of the three, and is probably my personal favorite. Good songs, if not always terribly engaging. I like this record just fine, but I’m also looking forward to hearing more from them.
–Keith Rosson (No Idea)
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WE THE DROWNED:
When I Can I Will: CD
Poppy U.K. punk with a very early ‘90s bent to it and a considerable amount of sophistication in the songs’ structures. There’s also a bit of a dark, moody edge to it, making it more akin to Jawbreaker than another in the endless parade of Queers/Screeching Weasel xeroxed clones.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Can’t Drink Flowers, cantdrinkflowers.com)
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VARUKERS, THE:
Vintage Varukers (Rare and Unreleased 1980-1985): CD
I’ve never actually owned a Varukers record; an English pen-pal once put some songs of theirs on a comp tape he made for me in 1982, but that’s as Varukery as i get. I’ve always liked that song “Destroy The Youth” ((which ain’t on here)), but, as a non-owner of any portion of the Varukers primary canon, i feel about as qualified to provide valid insight on this “rare and unreleased” suite of Exploited-singing-Discharge tunes as my little cousin would have been to write an in-depth review on the Beatles’ career after dancing around all Christmas to her first Beatles album, which was one of those weird ‘90s rare/unreleased compilation things, and thus, presumably, so far afield from a legitimate jumping-on point as to render her enthusiasm somewhat silly. Plus she danced weird. I can say with some authority that these guys were among the faster U.K. punk bands in the early 80’s, so, y’know, there’s that... but, to be brutally frank, i really just came to hear “Destroy The Youth” and go home, so what the fuck am i still doing here? BEST SONG: Well, “Destroy The Youth,” if it was on here. BEST SONG TITLE: “Varuker.” I applaud their thematic unity. FANTASTIC AMAZING TRIVIA FACT: If you listen carefully to the live tracks at the end of the disc, you can hear various MacIntosh computer system sounds, like the little piano trill made when a process has been completed, and numerous pointer clicks.
–Rev. Norb (Antisociety)
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VARIOUS ARTISTS:
Spokanarchy!: Original Soundtrack: CD/LP
This soundtrack is the accompaniment to the documentary Spokanarchy!, a look at the Spokane, Washington, punk scene during the late 1970s into the ‘80s. Bits of these songs are played through the documentary, but here are sixteen tracks in fifty-three minutes, from a number of bands you’ve never heard of. At first, this caused me to question the purpose of such a release, but as I thought about it I realized that not being well-known doesn’t mean a band is bad. This is more of a document of an unknown punk scene from a particular time that, until now, had not been recognized in its whole and displayed for the outside world. Spokane wasn’t a traditional music scene when it first started, though. There wasn’t an overriding influence from New York City or Los Angeles. Spokane was a mish-mash of styles: new wave, Ramones-influenced punk, freaky art scene stuff, and a little bit of this and that. So the range of bands here include the Pink Floyd-influenced new wave sound of Sweet Madness to the hardcore punk of Vampire Lezbos and the reggae influence of M’na M’na. I can’t help but be reminded of my suburban Indiana punk scene in the ‘90s and how, despite our location and lack of culture, some of the bands really were quite good and interesting. Spokane had the same thing going on a decade or two earlier, it would seem, just with different genres. I wouldn’t want to say all the songs on here are great. Just like a compilation of bands from my home area during my high school and college years, there would certainly be some subpar songs. The actual bands may be quite good, but it’s hard to say based on just hearing one or two songs. But, on the whole, I really enjoyed a number of these tracks. Terror Couple’s “This is Spokane, Fuck L.A.” and Vampire Lezbos’ “Plasma” were among my favorites (although both VL songs were up my alley). If you’re feeling adventurous, have some connection back to Spokane or Washington state, or want to hear an example of people building a punk scene far away from its traditional foundations during punk’s early days, then this soundtrack is for you.
–Kurt Morris (spokanarchy.com)
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VARIOUS ARTISTS:
Sacramento Records Anthology: 1999-2004: Cassette
If you’ve been paying attention, then you are aware of the fact that Sacramento harbors many amazing bands. You might have missed some of California’s capitol city’s great offerings even if you have been paying attention, as that’s just the way it goes. Either way, here’s a chance to get some history. Charles Albright’s Sac Records has been documenting some of Sacto’s best for over a decade now. Sacramento tape label Pleasant Screams teamed up with Sac to bring you this here tape that covers the earlier years of Sac Records’ existence. Some of the best from the actual releases fill out the A side while the back is constituted of releases that never materialized, with the only exception I know being the Horny Mormons (Sac did a CD comp of their stuff). Starting off the tape are an excellent track each from The Bananas and The Knockoffs that were harvested from the Sac reissue of the Swimming in the Secret C comp originally on Secret Center, making Pleasant Screams the third Sacto label to put ‘em on a comp! Other highlights that help form the front side are tracks by the goofy Four Eyes (took me over a decade to recognize their awesomeness), Milhouse USA (quite possibly the best female-fronted punk band from Sac ever—Milhouse SMF could give ‘em a run for their money, though), and The Colonels (who will step forth and release a collection of this bands gems?!). Besides Horny Mormons leading off the flip with their killer “Discombobulated” (which mentions biting the mighty Sewer Trout!), you get more screwball tracks from Four Eyes, some aggressive and dancey yet jarring punk numbers from The Gynas, and one of the best songs from popsters Bright Ideas (recorded back in ‘02 with their Saturdays record). Fifteen bands, twenty-six songs, not a dull moment. Extremely recommended.
–Vincent Battilana (Pleasant Screams, pleasantscreams.storenvy.com / Sacramento, sacramaniacs.com)
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VARIOUS ARTISTS:
Cashing in on Christmas: CD
Red Alert, The FUs, Angry Snowmans, The USM, Evacuate, and oodles more launch an offensive to stave off the Christmas blahs with eighteen holiday-themed classics and originals. The results are expectedly mixed for this kind of endeavor —good, bad, and “keee-rist what were they thinkin?” all well represented—but ultimately should serve as the perfect punk-fam stocking stuffer and mood music for the annual Torching of the Christmas Tree.
–Jimmy Alvarado (facebook.com/blackholerecs)
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VACANT FEVER:
Kill Kill Kill: 7” EP
Brief, fuzzy, and precise barely-post-minimal almost-art-rock that seems at times like it is trying to mentally insert a large, densely-studded silicon rubber centipede into my lower intestine so it can teach me to enjoy it when it pulls the centipede slowly out of my butt. The first couple songs were over three minutes long and i thought maybe they were too serious/pretentious/whatever for me, but the minute-something songs like “Yeah Yeah” and “Like It Or Not” are actually pretty cool, and briefly reminded me of “Psychocandy” era Jesus & Mary Chain doing Wanderers covers, although i overcame that hallucination with the power of my oversized mutant brain. Now, if you’ll excuse me, i have to see a man about a large, densely-studded centipede. Good day. BEST SONG: “Yeah Yeah” BEST SONG TITLE: “Yeah Yeah,” especially if you’re the Revillos. FANTASTIC AMAZING TRIVIA FACT: Not surprisingly, the tits on the cover prevented me from noticing the bloody nose on the cover for quite some time.
–Rev. Norb (Vacant Fever)
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USELESS ID:
Symptoms: CD
I always kinda assume that any Fat Wreck band I haven’t heard of or didn’t make their way up on a label I dig is probably “for kids.” That’s probably a shitty generalization, but it’s one that seems to be pretty accurate in the case of Useless ID. Straightforward, fast, melodic-yet-snarly punk rock played by guys who likely grew up on the same rather-accessible Southern California skatepunk that most of us found our stride with, but never really moved on from there. I’m sure a jillion kids love this shit, but I won’t be jumping on board.
–Dave Williams (Fat Wreck)
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UNRELEASEABLES:
Crewe Boys: 7” EP
Lo-fi, lo-rent Ramones aping.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Batshit, batshitrecords.com)
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UNHOLY MAJESTY:
Self-titled: 7” EP
I can’t think of another adjective for this debut, except for “lovely.” The chords are enough to make you forget what you’re doing and take notice. These three doom and gloom tracks feature melodic U.K. grindcore with throat-ripping growls spliced with sound bites. Throw in some serious guitar solos that remind me of early Kirk Hammett and Dave Mustaine and Unholy Majesty have my full attention. “Age of Affliction,” my fave, opens this Pandora’s Box with a slow, bone-grinding riff and turns things up with a double kick drum. Delicious. Recommended for those who want a little more than a wall of noise with their reign of terror.
–Kristen K (A389, a389records.com)
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TWO TEARS:
Eat People: 7” EP
Simple trash rock from a former Red Aunt. The two tracks on the A-side are up-tempo, while the flip, “Senso Unico,” slows things down with just a hint of western flair.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Kind Turkey, kindturkeyrecords.com)
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TROPHY WIVES:
Old Scratch : LP
Ex-members of Elliott, Lords, and Coliseum attempting to bridge the gap between the Wipers and Kyuss. I suppose it is a successful attempt, but this is not a bridge I am interested in crossing.
–Mike Frame (Latest Flame)
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TOUCH COMMITTEE:
Winter Beard: LP
Super winsome throwback to mid-’90s emo rock like Braid, Texas Is The Reason, or Sensefield, with an emphasis on that scene’s smiley, bouncy aspects. Emo without the angst, but with handclaps, smiles, and great guitar work. And they pull it off without being dippy. The punker in me prefers the faster songs, but it plays all the way through, enhanced by meaty production.
–CT Terry (20sidedrecords.com)
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THOR’S TEETH:
Sonar: LP
I like imagining the singer describing this record to his friends, “Dude, so I dressed up like a crazy Gwar Viking, and the guys from Pulling Teeth played all these W.A.S.P. riffs and, dude, we totally have a song called ‘Thunderhawk.’ We recorded a live album. You shoulda been there!” Being there was important. The sound is fine, but I feel like I’m missing out on the fun by not seeing it. The fact that there’s almost as much onstage banter as music drives that point home.
–CT Terry (A389records.com)
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TENDRIL:
Planet: Cassette
I was standing by the boombox, frowning, when my girlfriend walked in and asked, “Is the tape fucked up or is that the band?” Then I said, “You just wrote my review for me.”
–CT Terry (tensionheadrecords@gmail.com)
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SUN OF EYES:
Bedroom Demo: CD-R
One o’ them bands that prance around the gray area between noise rock and industrial music, which means that it’s in turns noisy, sludgy, plodding, brooding, and often more interested in mood than rocking the party. I reckon it’s an acquired taste, but I thought the six tracks here were nifty. Back says this is limited to forty copies.
–Jimmy Alvarado (No address)
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STONE KINGS :
Self-titled: CD
Visually, this is as cheesy as it gets, complete with logos of huge corporate online locales to “network” and “follow” this band. Sonically, somehow, this is an almost ridiculous approximation of ‘90s stoner rock. Imagine Kyuss with a really crappy singer and you have the Stone Kings. It would not have been bad at four tunes or so, but this thing is over an hour and really starts to grate. Honestly, this should probably be worse considering this band proclaims both Incubus and Nickelback as huge influences. Hell, even the putrid Queens Of The Stone Age will beat out that shit.
–Mike Frame (Rebelseed, stonekings.co.uk/contact.html)
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