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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
LIVE FAST DIE / VCR:
Split: 7”
Live Fast Die: Sometimes the layers of mud, snot, really off production, and fuzzy sweater pellets in the throat put masking tape all over the songs, and it’s difficult to figure out if all of those layers of masking tape are concealing fantastic bombs that could splatter my eardrums, or merely turds wrapped like a mummy. It’s hard to tell. (And I’ve heard and reviewed this band before.) Sorta sounds Ramones with Motörhead’s guitarist and then like the Spits. Don’t hold me to it, ‘cause it’s hard to hear. VCR: Had the Velvet Underground festered in underground obscurity in, say, Dayton, Ohio, instead of being liked in New York, and only rabid obscurists held their only 7” aloft like a chalice, my two cents is that they’d sound like VCR. The late ‘70s have folded into the mid ‘00s like a Mad Magazine back cover: the elements are the same, but when creased over the past three decades, it somehow sounds a little new and good-funny again. Nice. On a interweb note, if you type Dagger Man into a search, you get a website of a dude selling Nazi knives.
–Todd Taylor (Daggerman, no address provided: www.myspace.com/daggermanrecords)
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LIFETIME:
Somewhere in the Swamps of New Jersey: 2 x CD
I lie to myself about Lifetime. I think I adore them, or that I treasure them. But, in reality, I like them. Granted, they’ve got songs that are amazing, but I’m starting to think of them as that: a band with some great songs rather than a great band. Maybe it’s because they’ll never do it for me the way Kid Dynamite does, and I don’t have the ability to separate the two in my mind. Here, Jade Tree’s collected two discs-worth of material that has mostly already been released. The exceptions are unreleased versions of songs that have already been released. Forty-five tracks in all, but only twenty-six songs—lots of repetition. And, sadly, the strongest track on this is not an original but the unreleased remix of their cover of Billy Bragg’s “New England.” That song actually does make it worth it for me (but I doubt I’d buy it for the one track alone).
–Megan Pants (Jade Tree)
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LIBYAN HIT SQUAD:
Death Metal in Jerusalem: CD
Well, the listener can only surmise what a bunch of dudes from Orlando, Florida have to say about Libyan death squads, death metal in Jerusalem or anything else, as there’s nothing included here besides an uninformative, ego-stroking one-sheet and a business card. What I mean is, there’s no lyrics, right? You can make out little vocal blips on the radar every once in a while: “She’s an evil bitch,” “I was a straight edge punk,” “I laugh at your theory and your moral values,” etc. But that’s about it. So from a purely sonic standpoint, I’d have to say that these guys are coming across as a third-tier Black Flag. There’s a few bright moments where it sounds remarkably like Ginn and Dukowski dueling it out in the practice space, and the way they’ve structured the songs, with lots of short, repetitive vocal sections, makes parts of this sound remarkably like a band souping up to do a My War-era Black Flag set for Halloween or something. I was over it pretty quickly.
–Keith Rosson (Bony Orbit)
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LIBRARIANS:
Alright Easy Candy Stranger: CD
Four piece Morgantown, West Virginia rockers offer up their first full length for the people. Innovative guitar patterns glide each song down some unknown road. Drums and bass provide a taunt backbeat. The vocals remind me of Peter Murphy with a little more inflection. “Wax Teeth” and “Spend All The Cash” are getting continual play on this one. Forget the over-hyped bands written about on magazines you don’t read anymore. Librarians deliver the goods. So check them out and don’t plan to return them—no matter what the fee! (After you buy it of course!)
–Sean Koepenick (Postfact)
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LA CACAHOUETTE:
Cocaine Unicorn b/w Help Is Automatic: 7”
“It’s not a unicorn; it’s a horse, with a sword in its head.” I make that reference on account that this is a decent bit of indie rock, that I could easily see being used on some prime time hit if they were just a tad more “mainstream” (read as “hipster”).
–Joe Evans III (www.allthingsordinary.com)
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KEVIN K:
Polish Blood: CD
There, that’s more like it, this is the good glam punk! Starting out in Aunt Helen in 1978 in Buffalo and on through the Lone Cowboys, Road Vultures, and a ton of solo releases, Kevin K never lets me down. So many releases from all over the world...This one is from Poland. Seems to be kind of a collection of tunes from previous releases re-packaged for a Polish release. Twenty songs and not a stinker in the bunch. Kevin K is consistent with his great Ramones meets Thunders sound and I can never get enough of it.
–Mike Frame (Pasazer)
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KEVIN CAHOON AND GHETTO COWBOY:
Doll: CD
Name, artwork, album title...all signs point to glam pop. The first song sounds like that Coyote Shivers tune from the end of the movie Empire Records. In fact, the whole album comes off like a ‘90s alterna soundtrack; a few good songs but mostly watered down, slick and dull. I had high hopes for this one and I am usually a sucker for the style of music that Kevin Cahoon seems to be shooting for. This one just falls a little flat. A little more Lee Harvey Oswald Band and a little less Shirley Manson and this band could really be on to something. Hopefully next time they will bust out their Jayne County records for inspiration before they go in to record.
–Mike Frame (Sh-K-Boom)
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JONESES, THE:
Tits and Champagne: LP
I was just talking to my girlfriend Mor about this: The Joneses were a good band, but hardly groundbreaking. I mean, if it were the mid ‘80s and they were playing the Whisky (the Whisky was still a decent venue in the ‘80s), I’d go; but it’s not like missing, say, The Gun Club or something—a band that—along with X to a lesser extent—really had something cerebral to say and innovative music to get across. And I think The Joneses might agree with me. I’ll explain: The Joneses were a trashy band, hopped up on booze and heroin—L.A.’s answer to The Heartbreakers. They fucked a lot of women, had a good time, played their Les Pauls down around their ankles, and then broke up. I think some of them might be in jail right now—at least that’s what I’ve heard. This record, which came out in 1989, must have been something of a godsend to rock fans, considering nothing was happening in ‘89. And, yeah, it’s still a nice piece of vinyl, by a bunch of guys who could have been Johnny Thunders stunt doubles. The only problem I have with The Joneses is that the lifestyle they exuded—the Peter Laughner, Lou Reed, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Johnny Thunders bit—is currently killing some of my friends who buy that shit hook, line, and sinker. Bummer.
–Ryan Leach (Full Breach Kicks)
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JOHNS, THE:
In Tune: 7” EP
A-side sounds like a cross between any Ramones song C.J. ever sung and “Fight For Your Right” by the Beastie Boys, the latter only tangentially. The first half of the B-side sounds like Orange County’s ten-years-too-late answer to the Humpers, who were, for the record, a great band (at least some of the time). Second half of the B-side has a little guitar that reminds me of later Vandals, but, other than that, i’m stumped. You could play me this record, show me the cover, show me pictures of the band, and tell me they were from any year from 1983 or so til the present and i would believe you. BEST SONG: “Wanna Die” BEST SONG TITLE: “Wanna Die” i guess FANTASTIC AMAZING TRIVIA FACT: The record came with a CD-R of the songs—a practice which, square as it may seem, i strongly endorse.
–Rev. Norb (Anko)
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JESUS FUCKING CHRIST:
Self-titled: CD
Is that a punk rock name or what! The name is not the only thing that is good, their music is like the wedgie the jocks would give the nerd kids at school when growing up. Right up the butt crack and it hurts! The music reminds me of early Corrosion Of Conformity, Poison Idea, Battalion Of Saints, and even at times Crucifix. They definitely have a mid ‘80s sound going for them. Rock and metal overtones played at a mid-tempo to fast pace, but straight up punk rock. The vocals are yelled or screamed but phonetic so that you can understand what is being sung. Their guitars are crunchy and bright, so they sound warm opposed to dirty. Bass is nice and clean but punchy and also warm. The drumming is more than competent with a sound that’s reminiscent of early drummers from the So Cal scene. I saw this band a number of months ago. The crusty kids didn’t quite get it. But I think if they gave a few listens to this disc, they will learn that there are other ways to play punk.
–Donofthedead (Inimical)
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JEFF WALKER UND DIE FLUFFERS:
Welcome to Carcass Cuntry: CD
This is one of the guys from goregrind grandfathers Carcass, doing covers of country songs. It sounds like a stupid idea, I know. I was fully prepared to rip this album a new one when I put it on, but it was surprisingly good. The covers are pretty straight-forward and faithful, with the exception of the distorted guitars (a little unnecessary) and Jeff’s surprisingly Shane MacGowan-esque voice. It sounds ridiculous, I know, but it’s actually pretty good. It’s always nice when a “genre” musician tries something different and pulls it off successfully. Recommended.
–ben (Fractured Transmitter)
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JAY REATARD:
Hammer I Miss You: 7” EP
Dude, the title track sounds—GASP!—radio friendly! Fret not, though, for although much of the mud and vitriol that fueled the Reatards is not readily apparent here, there’s enough edge in “It’s So Useless” and “All Wasted” to keep those fans who’ve been around longer than a week on their toes. Sounds like the man’s music is starting to get more sophisticated and, in his case, that doesn’t mean he’s starting that steady slide down into nether reaches of suckdom. The verdict? This is pretty fuckin’ good stuff.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Goner)
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JACKS, THE:
Concrete Death: 7” EP
I’m figuring it’s a bad sign when you purposely play a punk record on 45 instead of the suggested 33 1/3 RPM just to give it some pep. The songs themselves weren’t bad, but the performance was just fuggin’ listless, man. Pop a bottle of No-Doz each, chase it down with a quart of Jolt Cola and try again, please.
–Jimmy Alvarado (RLD)
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ISTUKAS OVER DISNEYLAND, THE:
O Guinu: CD
Mid tempo to sometimes fast garagey pop punk from the Philippines. Mostly sung in English, but there are a few numbers that I believe are sung in Tagalog: the title track being one of them. That track stood right out with a smoother flow of vocal delivery while they blazed through a faster punk number. The English tracks tend to sound slow to compensate for the uncomfortableness of the language. The Tagalog tracks are the memorable tracks which showcases their energy. The other tracks just come off unpolished and awkward.
–Donofthedead (Cat Food Money)
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IRA:
The Body and the Soil: CD
Debut from this German five piece. I like a band that has the nerve to put a fifty-seven second song on the same record with a fifteen minute plus piece. Large, volcanic, sheets of sound protrude from this record like a broken bone. Hard to describe them with some precision. Sonic Youth meets Pelican? Hum meets Dillinger 4? You’ll have to be the judge but this does have so many ups and downs you’ll probably get carsick. Intriguing.
–Sean Koepenick (Go-Kart Europe)
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INVADE:
Self-titled: CDEP
Some serious thought seems to have been put into the lyrics, but the music is pretty much nondescript metal posing as “hardcore.” Pity.
–Jimmy Alvarado (invadehc@gmail.com)
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INFECTED:
Tales of the Tortured Mind: CD
I am all for posthumous discographies, especially for bands that’ve long since disbanded and never really played that much outside their hometowns. In the case of Infected, that’s not entirely the case, as they apparently toured quite a few times, the first of which was a two-month stint of the States with Raw Power, which would lead me to believe that more people would’ve heard of them before. Anyway, these dudes were working within the framework of a pretty standard punk template, but that doesn’t mean that Tales… is bad, or even that generic, just that you know what you’re coming into here. While the liner notes are almost apologetic about how rough some of this sounds, I think it adds rather than detracts to the whole thing. As a whole, Infected sounds like a more venomous, pissed-off Crimpshrine without the hippie undertones. Only complaint is that the CD starts to drag a bit by the end, but that’s just because it’s a near-complete discography (the last four songs are from their never-released LP); I’d start to get burnt by a lot of bands after twenty-one songs. As a whole, this one’s pretty decent.
–Keith Rosson (Eugene)
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ICONS:
Eye-cons b/w Fade: 7”
Good, but if it was half as long, it’d be twice as gooder. As it stands, it seems like both offerings are half-songs, stretched to double their effective length. The effect of all that stretching? Bloating and the songs sound a little tired. The snappy punk crunch and poppy ouch of, say, “(Looking Through) Gary Gilmore’s Eyes” by the Adverts or “Silver Bullet” by the Briefs, is hidden in snatches, but these songs’ treads are thin and the sidewalls are cracking from all the shuffling and weight. With more pounce, stick-it-in-the-eye, and less repetition, the Icons have the potential to be really good.
–Todd Taylor (Daggerman, www.myspace.com/daggermanrecords)
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I WILL KILL YOU FUCKER!!:
Self-titled: 7” EP
Nifty arty “someone took an origami class” cover, exceedingly diverse in sound and plenty weird. Outside of that, I dunno what to say about this.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Tankcrimes)
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HOODS UP 495:
Shoot Nazis, Not Dope: CDEP
The cover describes them as “Circle Pit Hip Hop Straight Outta Moscow.” I think that pretty much covers the bases. I really appreciate that they’re apparently politically aware, but musically this didn’t even make for interesting background music.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Daddydamage@gmail.com)
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HEIMATLOS:
La Seconde Nécessaire 1982-1988: CD
A “complete recordings” collection courtesy of a band purported to be France’s first true “hardcore” band. Compiled here are ninety tracks from assorted releases, demos, live cuts, and even a version of one of their songs performed by another band. Musically, much of this pretty smokin’, with a nice BGK burn to much of the proceedings, and maybe a dash of Dead Kennedys, Mob 47 and others thrown in for color here and there. The lyrics are sung in French, German, Spanish, Finnish, Swedish and English, which has to be some kind of record. Having heard nary a note from them prior, I’m must say I’m mightily impressed.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Ratbone)
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HEARTATTACKS, THE:
Your Lies: 7” EP
The World At Large refers to this band as the “Swedish Teengenerate.” The label claims that they are actually the Swedish Registrators. I refute both parties, and declare them to be the Swedish Phantom Rats. WE CAN NEVER BE FRIENDS! NONE OF US! MORTAL ENEMIES FOR LIFE! I will form a discussion group where we can settle these issues before our differences tear us apart. BEST SONG: “Floozie of the Neighbourhood” BEST SONG TITLE: Same, i guess FANTASTIC AMAZING TRIVIA FACT: I don’t know the name of that Goner Records font.
–Rev. Norb (Plastic Idol)
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HEADS, THE:
Under the Stress of a Headlong Drive: CD
Mudhoney eats the brown acid.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Alternative Tentacles)
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HARD-ONS:
Most People Are a Waste of Time: CD
Loud pop that falls somewhere between the Fastbacks and the Ramones, which unfortunately means it sounds like the Lemonheads or something.
–Cuss Baxter (Bad Taste)
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HAPPY HATE ME NOTS:
The Good That’s Been Done…An Anthology: 2 x CD
There’s that old saying: “Never judge a two-disc anthology of a now-defunct Australian band by its horrifically ugly cover.” I mean, seriously, the art on this thing is positively awful and totally misleading—I’m talking Dayglo porpoises frolicking amid Photoshopped “tripping acid” backgrounds. If I saw this in a record store, I’d be expecting either some sort of sick, dick-numbing Phish worship or a few hours of really bad house/trance music. Instead, shockingly, HHMN manage to dish out a potent and mostly consistent crossbreed of mid-period Stiff Little Fingers and straight ahead power pop that’s really, really catchy. Two discs of this stuff, and while there are certain drawbacks throughout (they have a tendency to slip in a light and strangling pop ballad here and there, like the lilting “Blue Afternoon,” that I could have really done without) it’s generally pretty steady in its kickassedness. On the punk spectrum, this one’s not kicking out much radiation, though I bet they came across as more jagged and mean live. Still, if authentic, mid-to-late ‘80s power pop blows your hair back, this one’ll do it for you; two discs, plenty of liner notes, featuring the majority of their released material, including b-sides and live radio stuff.
–Keith Rosson (Feel Presents)
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