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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
COMPLAINTS:
No Action: 7”EP
Another challenge of not being a “record reviewer in the abstract”—like being behind the digital curtain and protected by the irony-and-diction-laden formula of “rock journalism”—is that I tend to actually know not only the people in the band, but the person who mastered the record (Dave Eck), the bands musicians were in before they were in this band (Radio Reelers, Swingin’ Utters, Western Addiction), and, shit, I’ve even seen the bands live that they cover (Slaughter And The Dogs). All of this is the opposite of name dropping. It’s just from close listening to records and being an actual, contributing member of a community, not commerce. That’s it. I don’t want to be a dick and I don’t want to be dishonest. The Complaints are continually getting better. My two cents is that I still want more thud and crunch because what I hear is simple punk rock’n’roll. And if we’ve ever learned anything from Motörhead is that it doesn’t have to be flashy or prancy poetry, it just has to feel like you’re on a freight train about to run off the tracks. More danger, please.
–Todd Taylor (Modern Action)
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COMPANY:
Die on This Island: 12”EP
It’s not every day a band manages to match their message with an exemplary delivery, but this Portland foursome with former members of Drunken Boat, do. Folks who appreciate Dillinger Four and Minor Threat ought to take note. With thick, meaty, chord-driven post-punk, “70 MPH” transitions half way through from brash, balls-out punk to finish on a haunting whine. When I heard “Bobby Dell,” an incredibly personal message to a parent with gut-twisting vocals, I knew this release would be in my regular rotation. This is one of the best records I’ve heard all year with progressive guitar hooks that take hold and won’t let go. Well written and executed; my only gripe is that it’s only six songs. I’m on pins for a full length. Recommended.
–Kristen K (Bulkhead, bulkheadrecords.com)
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COMBOMATIX / WHITE FANGS:
Split: 7”
Combomatix: As a person who nearly majored in French, I actively sought good French music. Do you know how rare it is that I hear French music that I like? It’s rare, very rare. If I had looked at the back cover before putting this on, I would have realized that it was French; but I didn’t because of the drawings of bullshit like a semi-truck and dream catcher on the front. Anyhow, I thought I was listening to the rad-as-fuck garage rock songs on here, and I was thinking that this band was from some middle of nowhere place in the Midwest—some place devoid of all things to do besides rock out at home. Spastic yet controlled jams. Tight! White Fangs: Another pretty awesome garage rock band—this time from Belgium! Bluesy in their approach compared to the zany Combomantix, but still great.
–Vincent Battilana (Frantic City, franticcity.free.fr)
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CLOAK OX, THE:
Prisen: CDEP
Fairly middling alt-rock. Kinda reminds me of that weird period when people were paying more than a hundred dollars for “grunge” Pendletons and bands were trading in their screamers for more nuanced vocalists to go with them walls o’ Marshalls and lattes. The music here’s more or less okay for what it is, but—and I freely admit that it could be the final mix, or my stereo or some other variable over which the band themselves had no control at all—the “clean” quality of the vocals cause them to stand out in ways that detract from any “edge” the band might be able to muster.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Totally Gross National Product)
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CITY MOUSE:
Self-titled:: 7"
As soon as I dropped the needle, I loved this record in a totally different way than I expected. Let me take a step back. I love Danzig. I have since old times. I’m still coming down from the high of the two Danzig Legacy shows I went to in October. So when I saw this record, I knew I was going to love it for novelty value. The front cover is the Danzig skull modified with mouse ears. The back cover is a photo of three adorable little kids reenacting the blood-drenched Samhain Initium cover. I didn’t really want to listen to the record. Figured the music couldn’t outdo the cover. Holy shit was I wrong. The vocals come from that inexplicable—but totally human—crossroads between desperation, confusion, power, and anger. The music follows suit. Lyrically, there’s a great journey that takes place from the A-side to the B-side. The record opens with a catchy love song and ends with a very thoughtful examination of the reasons for writing those types of songs. The conclusion: “When I can’t find no reason, I just find the rhyme.”
–MP Johnson (It’s Alive)
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CITIZENS PATROL:
2006-2011: CD
Wow, the members of this Netherlands band have been quite the busy bees, cranking out oodles of white-hot thrash-o-rama for all the sweaty little boys to run around in circles to. Sounding like they dipped from the same well as Out Cold and added a dash of early Attitude Adjustment to give things a slightly different feel, they start off in overdrive and don’t let up until the first third of the ninth song, taking a few seconds to inhale and then letting fly again. Also like the fact that the lyrics (or what I can make out of ‘em) aren’t afraid to be topical, either. Forty-nine studio tracks pulled from various LPs, EPs, splits ‘n’ demos, plus a full set tacked onto the end. Tight, fast, well executed, catchy and prolific. Not too shabby for a five year run, and from the looks of it, they’re still goin’ strong.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Shield)
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CITIZEN USELESS:
Don’t Die for Lies: CD
A quick glance at this album’s cover art had me excited for what I assumed would be a hilarious, dopey U.S. release with corny lyrics. But instead it’s an earnest, amazing, terrific release from Jakarta, Indonesia! The lyrical content ranges from serious political diatribes like “I Hate Americans” and “Day of the Dead,” to prototypical teen anthems like “Assole-ium.” It’s heavily influenced by 1990s street punk, but with a freshness as if Citizen Useless invented that style. The globalization of punk began almost right at its inception, but there still aren’t too many releases from even densely populated countries like Indonesia making it to stateside shelves. Fortunately, this fine CD can be found easily and it’s a must for fans of hearty, basic fare. How much is a round-trip flight to Indonesia to see these guys live? It’s $1,475 as of this writing. I guess I’m sticking to the recordings for now.
–Art Ettinger (Self-released, myspace.com/citizenuseless)
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CIRIL:
Sick Surreal: LP
Wow, this band is weird. Yikes. On side one of the LP, I can’t help but think of Jello’s vocals in “Meathook up My Rectum”-era Tumor Circus, backed by an oft mid-tempo, sometimes-quirky, sometimes-menacing rock band. Dense music that’s occasionally bordering on psychedelic—or at least really, really odd—and utterly convincing. Actually, yeah, couch this one between Tumor Circus and the Butthole Surfers around the time Psychic, Powerless… came out. And yet, side two is even gloomier and doomier and sounds almost like an entirely different band, complete with male-female vocals and a markedly different recording quality? Who the hell are these people? What is going on here? I was ready to write these guys off as just another grind band, judging from the horrible cover art, but they’re much more than that. I mean, I don’t entirely know what they are, but Sick Surreal is certainly an odd, captivating listen. The title is absolutely spot-on. This is fever-dream punk.
–Keith Rosson (Know)
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CHEMICAL :
System Error: CD
Thirty years ago, I would’ve dismissed this as fairly by-the-numbers U.K. punk stuff. These days, however, their sound, and obvious attention to the current state of the world, is a bit more uncommon than it once was, so this comes as a bit of fresh air when put against the piles of their peers who spend their time making hollow shouts at rebelling against an amorphous systems and getting drunk. While the recording quality is still pretty rough, it is definitely an improvement over the last release I remember hearing by ‘em, which I guess you could say is progress.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Chemical Threat)
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CHEETO CHAMP:
Gets the Giggles: CD
I left my copy of this CD in my friend’s car and was so sad, but the internet, as much as I complain about it, does have its uses. Cheetochamp.bandcamp.com. Hit it up and you can listen to this as many times as you like before you put those five bucks in the mail just to read the lyrics and see the cool stamp. This is some really fun punk rock noise that makes me want to frolic in a living room circle pit. I really liked Adrian’s vocal range, as well as the energetic backing vocals. The best song on here is “Up to You,” which is so fucking great I can barely deal with it. It’s as beautiful as any song on X’s Under the Big Black Sun.
–Rene Navarro (Lauren / Bite The Cactus)
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CHAOS UK:
Self-titled: LP
Nice reissue of Chaos UK’s first album, originally released on RiotCity in 1983. You get colored vinyl, an informative insert that includes a brief history courtesy of Wikipedia, a discography, a reprint from Blown to Bits zine from 1983, and some flyer art. I haven’t followed these guys too close over the years, but this album and their split with Extreme Noise Terror are worthy additions to your collection. The music is fast and noisy no-frills hardcore punk that has inspired more than a few bands, past and present, held in high regard from around the world. Favorite song on here is “The End Is Nigh,” that mixes some goth in their style with the brooding bass line and slow tempo, similar to Part 1 and Rudimentary Peni. Songs like “Farmyard” are still corny and too long, but the rest holds up. Can’t believe it’s nearly thirty years since this originally came out.
–Matt Average (Papagajuv Hlasatel, phr.cz)
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CAT PARTY / LA CORDE:
Rik L Rik: 7” EP
A four-song split 7” with two bands from Southern California contributing a song on each side. The A side consists of two Negative Trend covers—hence the title of this release—with both being well executed, although the out-of-tune backing vocals on La Corde’s version of “Atomic Lawn” sort of detracts from their offering. The B side features an original song by each of the bands that have a sound consistent with the Rik L Rik theme. Both are well-written post punk with a very dark early ‘80s sound and gothy-sounding vocals. No dis to the late Rik L Rik, but I actually liked both of these bands original compositions better than the covers. Overall, a successful split 7”.
–Jake Shut (Resurrection, getresurrected.com)
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BURNING ITCH:
Self-titled: LP
Frantic punk rock from this band. The tuneful and urgent delivery topped with a good guitar sound reminds me of early ‘80s So Cal punk. Check the solo in “Dead End Street” for an example. “Brains Fall Out” reminds me of Plain Wrap quite a bit. Except for “You Should Fucking Die,” they never tip the scales into speedy territory, choosing to keep it mid tempo, with a lot of dynamic time changes and a constant, rocking beat that keeps you on your toes and banging your head in a non-hesh sense. I find myself really liking “Say It Again.” Not only is the song memorable as hell, but the subject matter easily relatable.
–Matt Average (Tic Tac Totally, tictactotally.com)
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BUFFALO BANGERS:
“Granite Grandma” b/w “Blockader”: 7”
This 7” is really weird but really, really good. Somehow Buffalo Bangers seem to navigate a ton of subgenres in the matter of minutes. While both songs are pretty dark and quirky, “Granite Grandma” sounds like Siouxsie Sioux backed by Joy Division, while Side B sounds like a Patti Smith spoken word piece set to a great melody, quickly turns into this weird chant, and ends up sounding like Kathleen Hannah fronting Beat Happening. But, really, I wish this was longer; my hand is getting sore from flipping this over and over again and again.
–Chris Mason (Buffalo Bangers)
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BRIDGE AND TUNNEL:
Rebuilding Year: CD
There are some nice melodic, spacey stuff in this album, with rough post punk peeking out around the edges. But goddamn man, the first song is nearly six minutes long! The album has a tendency to lapse into quietness for too long as it marches toward a slow build that doesn’t feel quite earned. There are chunks and moments of songs I really love, but, as a whole, this album doesn’t come together.
–Candice Tobin (No Idea, noidearecords.com)
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BREED, THE:
Crossroads: CD
I can tell this Czech band likes bands that I like, I just think they like the bands I like in eras I don’t like them. Does that make sense? The Breed sounds a bit like DRI and a lot like Discharge, but in their metal years. I kind of like the chanted gang vocals, but can’t get past the Metal Zone guitar tones and double bass. Pass.
–Chris Mason (Papagajuv Hlasatel, phr.cz)
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BRASSKNUCKLE BOYS:
Appalachian Bastard: CD
This CD is a rerelease of the first two Brassknuckle Boys albums, American Bastard and Appalachian Industry, along with two hot previously unreleased tracks. They’re probably the greatest band from Kentucky since the Connie Dungs and have been playing straightforward street punk since the late 1990s. I’d prefer fancy new vinyl reissues of these albums, but this CD is very well put together. As was the case with Patriot, Brassknuckle Boys’ lyrics are way more positive than you’d expect. They are super good at delivering the goods when it comes to accessible, catchy punk. Color me immature, but I’ll take this over contemporary, multi-layered bands any day.
–Art Ettinger (Fighting Poor, brassknuckleboys.org)
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BRASS CASKETS / COLD SNAP:
Split: 7"
The opener on the Brass Caskets side is a slow, metal-tinged hardcore track. The riffs are down tuned and heavy, but the guitar sticks to interesting chord structures that make the riffs a lot more unique and memorable. Political, Orwellian lyrics and samples make up the ideas conveyed on both their songs. Cold Snap are a little bit of an odd fit, as their sound is a little more on the Level Plane style screamo side. The riffs are bleak and haunting, but the songs are still legitimately heavy, and the structures hold up really well. I don’t typically spring for splits featuring two bands I don’t know anything about, so this was a nice surprise to find in my review pile this month.
–Ian Wise (Redscroll)
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BRAIN TUMORS:
Self-titled: EP
One of the more interesting hardcore records I’ve heard recently. Brain Tumors can thrash it up with the best of them with blazing tempos and a crushing attack, such as “Improper Execute” and “Self Server.” But there’s some other stuff going on in their sound as well, and this is what helps them stand out. For instance, the song “Shadow People” shows a more tuneful approach to their sound. It’s pretty unexpected after listening to the first side, where the songs are a barrage of speed and sound. But that song really grabs your attention because it’s contrasting to everything else. There’s a bit of darkness in the music. The song structure is a bit more complex while still retaining the hardcore sound with its high-tension pacing. Then there’s the opening to “Rules of Abuse” that has a sort of power pop riff, though distorted and more punchy before they kick into the speedier side of things.
–Matt Average (Pass Judgement, passjudgementrecords.com)
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BOMBAY SWEETS, THE:
Self-titled: CD
Can’t say I remember much about what Selby Tigers sounded like, but this band includes a member. The sound is sorta mid-fi garage rock with a tiny smidge of maybe rockabilly and a lotta flamenco-steeped surf guitar. The result is simultaneously toe-tappin’ and laid back, giving off a good vibe, smarter and markedly more sophisticated than much of the stuff it’ll likely get lumped in with.
–Jimmy Alvarado (The Bombay Sweets, thebombaysweets.blogspot.com)
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BOMB, THE:
Challenger: 11”
Four new songs, plus live-in the studio alternate versions of some old Bomb favorites. Of the new stuff, I like ‘Hey World” and the title track the best. Vic Bondi from AOF guests on a song here. But this is the sound of a locked-in band that can run circles around the current crop of bands out there that are trying to rise to the top. The Bomb keeps threatening that this is their last record. I hope not ‘cause this is red hot punk rock with mucho attitude. Essential.
–Sean Koepenick (No Idea)
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BLOODCOCKS UK:
Self-titled: CD
Simplistic punk rock from Las Vegas. With song titles like “Tokyo Pop Shot,” “Godzilla Go-Go,” and “Cunt Cunt,” you can pretty much figure out what yer gonna get with this.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Bloodcocks UK, bloodcocksuk.com)
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BLACK HOLE OF CALCUTTA:
Self-titled: LP
Interesting mix of hardcore punk with some powerviolence and crust. At times, I hear Capitalist Casualties, and then other times they sound like a crust band with the semi-metallic breakdowns and scalded-throat vocals. I prefer the speedier, straight-ahead approach, as on the songs like “Parasites.” There’s a lot more urgency in the vocal delivery, and there’s time where he sounds like his voice might crack, or he’s about to collapse, and that only adds to the tension. The song “Lie” is a total ripper that reminds me of bands like Coke Bust. Fast and faster is how it’s structured. There’s some good stuff on here.
–Matt Average (Sacred Plague, sacredplague.com)
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BLACK FACE:
“I Want to Kill You” b/w “Monster”: 7"
A show of hands: who likes Chuck Dukowski-era Black Flag? Okay, now… who likes Chuck Dukowski-era Black Flag post Damaged? What’s that, you say? “Chuck didn’t play on any of those records, you fuck!” That’s true. But he was still a part of the band behind the scenes as a tour manager and SST Records employee. In fact, if you look carefully on the songwriting credits to My War and Slip It In, you’ll notice he actually co-wrote some of those songs as well as performed them live with the Flag prior to Kira taking over the reins. Through SST, Chuck became friends with Eugene Robinson from Oxbow (whose debut album was released by SST). Some decades later, Chuck pitches the idea to Eugene of recording some songs he had intended for Black Flag but decided to keep for himself and that’s why this record now exists. “I Want to Kill You” sounds like it could easily have made it as a Flag song on Slip It In, though it lacks any of Greg Ginn’s feedback-soaked power chords in favor of single note fretboard gymnastics and is carried by Dukowski’s signature bass thumping. Sadly, “Monster” strays far away from any Black Flag influence and instead sounds like something that Chuck would write for the Chuck Dukowski Sextet (i.e. free form, jazz-influenced, um, music). Those of you who read this far after I mentioned My War will surely enjoy side A and possibly side B if you’re more cultured than I am. And if you think I’m overcastting Mr. Dukowski’s musical credibility by endlessly mentioning Black Flag, you should know that Black Face’s logo borrows directly from the classic Black Flag logo font and even name drops them on the description. More records are in the works and, if anything, it’s good to see Chuck is still “in the van,” so to speak.
–Juan Espinosa (Hydra Head)
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BILL SKINS FIFTH WILL PUNCH YOU RIGHT IN THE FACE / ABSENT MINDS / DESTROY NATE :
Split: 7”
A four-way split 7” by a quartet of Portland bands. Besides delivering a name that is entirely too long, Bill Skins Fifth Will Punch You Right In the Face brings forth a pleasant and fun ‘60s-sounding keyboard-driven number with no lyrics other than skateboard and other less comprehensible yelling. Absent Minds’ song at the end of the first side, “Homeless,” starts off with a sorta hardcore bass line, but moves into unexceptional crusty melodic punk. The leadoff tune on the B-side by Destroy Nate Allen is raggedy folk punk with just male and female vocals backed by acoustic guitar that gets old quick even though it’s a fairly brief number. They saved the best for last with a rather fine song by Danger Death Ray. The wonderfully titled, “Zombies Even Eat My Nightmares” is also sort of in a folk punk vein, this time backed up by a full band as well as a prominence of doo-wop influences.
–Jake Shut (NXNW)
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