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Record Reviews1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 | 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| < Prev Section | Next Section >  RSS Feed
CHALLENGER DEEP, THE:
Self-titled: CD-R
This San Diego three piece appreciates the angularity of Drive Like Jehu. These five songs are produced by Mario Quintero at Black Box Studios, just down the street from my house. Sounds nice and thick with the expected bombastic flavor added. Early ‘90s post punk is still alive in 2007. I recommend checking these guys out. Cool lo-fi artwork looks sharpie drawn and I’m sure they hand-etched that shit.
–Buttertooth (www.myspace.com/thechallengerdeep)
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CHAMBERMAIDS, THE:
Self-titled: CD
I think they just invented a new crossover genre: alternative adult contemporary. Hoo-fucking-ray.
–Megan Pants (Modern Radio)
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CHAMPION:
Different Directions—The Last Show: CD/DVD
Maybe I’m just feeling a wee bit too old and cynical right now, but when I hear what is essentially an umpteenth-generation Uniform Choice rip off, who were in turn a third-generation Minor Threat rip off, tell a crowd “circle pit this whole fuckin’ room,” I can’t help but feel the weight of all the clichés at work here. Sure, their pitch-perfect recreation of the whole 1980s straight edge thing—the pictures, which look like they were cribbed off a 7 Seconds lyric sheet, a sense of fashion cribbed straight from a Catholic school gym—and their reference to punk’s real major contribution to modern music, its dance, are all well and nice, but I guess that’s the problem. I would honestly love to hear what they come up with once the hero worship and clinging to convention wears off, but here it seems to me they never really stretch outside of well-demarcated boundaries. So many bands have literally little-to-no chance to make any kind of lasting recorded statement, so why waste yours trying to sound like everyone else, you know? The DVD was very well produced, with multi-camera work of the band bouncing up and down in front of an audience going apeshit, clear sound and interviews interspersed, but I’ve seen way too many bands at way too many shows do the exact same shtick for them to really stand out in any way.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.bridge9.com)
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CHANDELI’ERS:
Self-titled: EP
The first output from a new New York/primarily Brooklyn band, featuring members of Ringers, The Besties, and Bent Outta Shape. It leans more towards the mid-tempo and poppy side of the spectrum, aligning with more with vintage Elvis Costello or even what you would hear on a tried and true oldies station, particularly due to the (often crooning) male/female vocals. But there’s just enough grit to keep it from getting too saccharine. Overall, a solid record that leaves me intrigued to see what comes next.
–Joe Evans III (chandelierstheband.bandcamp.com)
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CHANDLER TRAVIS PHILHARMONIC, THE:
Let’s Have a Pancake!: CD
This one was a bit of a surprise for me, ’cause I didn’t know what to expect. What I got was a nice mix of rock and various shades of jazz, with a hint of the Beatles, Stones and Caribbean rhythms thrown in as well. The songs themselves were fun and catchy, and served as a nice change of pace from the usual "noise" I listen to.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Sonic Trout, Box 1544, Orleans, MA 02653)
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CHANG FFOS:
Trust This Arcane Device: CD
Hoo doggy, when the press material dubs this “heavy,” for once they aren’t just blowing smoke up their own asses. This is, indeed, some heavy stuff, an unholy meeting of Black Sabbath, Black Flag, and a Mack truck in a sludge heap located at the crossroads of Psychedelia Place and Noise Rock Road. The level of aural punishment these cats are meting out is truly impressive.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.moonleerecords.com)
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CHANNEL 3:
I’ve Got a Gun / After the Lights Go Out: CD
Back when I was a kid, Channel 3 was one of them bands everybody seemed to love to hate in L.A., and I could never figure out why. I’m figuring most of that ire was based on some sorta jealousy at their being signed to Posh Boy or something, ‘cause it certainly wasn’t the music they was peddlin’. Nearly all of the music they produced during the early part of the ‘80s—their eponymous (a high-fallutin’ rock crit word meaning “self-titled.” One must occasionally throw in such words or they kick you out of the union) 12-inch EP, the Fear of Life LP and the After the Lights Go Out LP—was prime-grade, impassioned Southern California hardcore punk that is simultaneously typical for its time period and somehow timeless, as evidenced by the popularity of the band’s songs and the numerous times and ways it has been repackaged. The tracks from all the aforementioned records are here (although the order of the earlier tracks follows the U.K. I’ve Got a Gun release, which means the most of the EP and Fear of Life tracks are mixed up together and sequenced differently), along with the remaining U.S.-released tracks that didn’t make the original U.K. pressings, an odd B-side and comp rarity, so what you get is essentially all the essentials a fan would need. Suffice it to say that despite what others said back then, I was always an unabashed fan of these kids and remain so, and if, after listening to this ‘til it melts in your player, you find you need more, I highly recommend their most recent effort on Dr. Strange as your next purchase, as it’s easily the next best thing to the stuff here.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Captain Oi)
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CHANNEL 3:
One More for All My True Friends: 7"
The A-side is a nice anthemic stomper that made me laugh ’cause it sounded like he was singing “One more for all my two friends.” The B-side sounds like an outtake from their first EP, which of course means it’s fuggin’ mandatory listening. Good, good stuff, as can be expected. Hope they manage to crank out another album soon.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.myspace.com/suburbiarecords)
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CHANNEL 3:
Self-titled: CD
Holy sheep shit, it's a new Channel 3 disc and, wonder of wonders, it doesn't suck in the slightest! Excuse me if I sound a little shocked, but, taking into account the "reformed punk band/suckass tunes" ratio that has pretty much been the rule rather than the exception, this disc has no business being as good as it is. What you get for your buck here is an album that quite nearly erases any embarrassing mistakes these guys may have made in the "big hair and Aquanet-induced brain damage" days of the '80s. I say almost because the "hidden track" here sounds like a Poison outtake, and I hope it was a joke on their part. Aside from this little faux pas, every track on this bad boy is a veritable instant "hit," a classic if you will, of epic proportions. Sound-wise, this sounds like the long-lost album that was never recorded after After the Lights Go Out, the road not taken all those years ago that they've decided they'd like to saunter down after all. I've gotta admit, I was a little apprehensive about these guys showing their mugs again after hearing they were peddling that "reforming to show the young 'uns how real punk is done" horseshit like Exene and a couple of other has-been glory hogs, but these thirteen tracks of auditory bliss force me to keep my tongue at bay because, unlike X and their even-more-dismal-with-each-release track record, these guys have got the tunes to back their boasts. So recommended it ain't funny.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Dr. Strange)
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CHANNEL 3:
Self-titled: LP
If you read what Jimmy Alvarado wrote about this release in the previous issue, you know this is the shit! I was lucky enough to pick up a couple of copies of the test press that Dr. Strange made available to the public. I have been a fan since the early '80s. Their first 12" was one of the first punk records that I personally purchased. I loved this band! I would go see them at any opportunity. I even liked their progressive period like the Airborne 12" and the track "Indian Summer" that was on the BYO comp Something to Believe In. If Bill from Dr. Strange said that they were going back to their roots, I believed it. I put the needle down on my turntable and a comfortable familiarity burst through my speakers. I felt like I was taken back in time. The notes massaging my ears was like hearing music that was in the Fear of Life LP mixed with After the Lights Go Out LP that CH3 made their mark. They cut back on the over production of the later releases. The music is raw but still reflects their amazing melodic sensibilities. The power is there and gives me justification for their reunion. The songcraft they had, they did not lose. I can't believe that after such a long hiatus they can still come back with an absolutely beautiful release. This will probably stay in my car CD changer for over a year. That is how good this is. I hope people now will embrace the sheer magic that CH3 can bring and not ignore that they are an important part of punk history. I am a true believer that this a fantastic release. I hope you become one too!
–Donofthedead (Dr. Strange)
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CHANNEL 3:
To Whom It May Concern: LP
Releasing demos can be a dicey prospect, but TKO’s release of early Channel 3 demos is a real triumph and entertaining beyond the realm of just history. The range of playing spans slower, more rocking versions of classics like “I Got a Gun” and songs like “Late at Night” that are more in congress with what was evolving as the Southern California sound. The back of the album has a note from the band describing the record as “family snapshots,” but the album holds up and is pretty essential for anyone wearing grooves into their Adolescents records. Bad Brains’ Black Dots set a standard for essential “demo having.” To Whom It May Concern keeps that standard alive nicely.
–Billups Allen (TKO)
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CHANNEL 3:
Land of the Free: 7”
Decades down the line and CH3 are still kicking out a couple o’ new singalongs for yet another generation of kids who appreciate a band with more on their mind than getting fucked (up). This time ‘round, they address the narrow-mindedness of some in the “Land of the Free” and, on “Make It Home,” surviving domestic violence. Both handily make their point without being preachy and do it with a sound that has matured without sacrificing power and their signature style. Also comes with a download card that tacks on five more tracks to the deal, including another duet with Maria Montoya, who the older fans will remember from her last stint with the band on “You Make Me Feel Cheap.” As with most Hostage releases, there are a limited number of these bad boys out there, so start scramblin’.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Hostage)
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CHANNEL 3:
Land of the Free: 7”
New single—first from these punk rock giants in quite some time. The record comes with a nifty “fake ID card” that offers up seven extra bonus tracks. Two from previous compilations, but it is nice to have them all in one tidy package. “This Calls for a Drink” blows by the listener at one hundred MPH. “Make It Home” is the super catchy pick of the new material. Ultra-melodic and engaging from end to end. Grab this now on blue wax directly from the record company’s website.
–Sean Koepenick (Hostage, hostagerecords.com)
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CHANNING COPE:
Sugar in Our Blood: CDEP
New age in a Jefferson Airplane kind of way. As boring as boring gets.
–Donofthedead (North Park)
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CHANTEY HOOK, THE:
Self-titled: CDEP
Romantic, driving, poetic rock’n’roll is tough. Tough to not be maudlin. Tough to not be cheesy. Tough to not rip off the intellectual property estates of Bruce Springsteen or Neil Young. Thoughtful, dynamic, evocative, story- and romance-driven punk is even tougher. Leatherface’s ghosts and fingerprints are on the edges of The Chantey Hook. But they’re leagues apart from a band that zips itself into a Leatherface suit as easily as a banker sleeves into a pressed shirt. I have a longtime respect for Seth Swaaley, the singer and principal songwriter of Super Chinchilla Rescue Mission, now Chantey Hook. As it is with any music-with-meaning, this CD benefits from close listens and read-alongs. If you take time with it, let the relationship build under moss-bricked bridges, during loose-cylinder drives, when “the struggle’s always near, but the party’s always on,” that’s when The Chantey Hook shares. It won’t give you everything on the first time around the block. It’s not that easy. The gift The Chantey Hook delivers in four songs is nothing short of that reminder that humans make music and music can sometimes be wonderfully redemptive. “We’ll get there, but we ain’t there just yet.”
–Todd Taylor (thechanteyhook.com, music@thepersistenceofsound.com)
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CHAOS UK:
Kanpai: CD EP
After all these years, these guys can still play UK hardcore like nobody’s business. Fast, furious, and heavy as hell, this will definitely work better than coffee and a cold shower if you’re having a hard time waking up in the morning.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Vinyl Japan, 98 Camden Road, London NW1 9EA, UK)
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CHAOS UK:
Total Chaos (The Singles Collection): CD
For those already in the know about these guys, this is essentially their self-titled LP with a few singles tacked onto the end. For those not in the know, let’s just say their name fits ’em. Loud, fast, angry and blissfully fucked up, they embodied both the “anyone can do this” attitude of early ’80s punk and the utter rage so many of us were feelin’ back then. Still active and cranking out the hits, this look at their back catalogue chock full of stuff that’s still surprisingly potent after more than twenty years.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.cherryred.co.uk)
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CHAOS UK:
Kings for a Day—The Vinyl Japan Years: 2 x CD
Bit of an odd listen here for me. I’m well versed in their early thrash-o-matic stuff and have kept informed enough over the years to know they still have a fondness for raising a ruckus, but some of the stuff here kinda came from left field. The first disc is primarily covers of tunes originally by PIL, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury, Plasmatics, the Drones, and others, some of which are actually pretty well done and funny at the same time. The other disc is a collection of EP tracks, including some more covers of Lurkers and Partisans tunes. The first block of originals sound more like oi-inspired tunes, which is a bit of a shock to those of us used to the raucous slam-bang these guys claimed as their signature sound. Just when you start wonderin’ where all the noise went, they slap on the tracks from the Kanpai EP and you’re back in familiar waters. On the whole, I can’t say this was my favorite stuff by ’em, but it was definitely an interesting departure from the tried and true, most of which they successfully pull off.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.cherryred.co.uk)
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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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CHAOTIC ALLIANCE:
A New Breed of Terror: CD
When they get all their ducks in a row, these guys sometimes sound like old L.A. anarcho-punks Iconoclast without the nuclear war fixation, but most times they sound like a nondescript backyard hardcore band. A little more creativity in trying to differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack and a little less reliance on metal trappings and they might be a band to reckon with.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Charged)
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CHAOTIC ALLIANCE:
A New Breed of Terror: CD
When they get all their ducks in a row, these guys sometimes sound like old L.A. anarcho-punks Iconoclast without the nuclear war fixation, but most times they sound like a nondescript backyard hardcore band. A little more creativity in trying to differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack and a little less reliance on metal trappings and they might be a band to reckon with.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Charged)
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CHAOTIC DISCHORD:
Now! That: CD
Never paid any attention to these guys because: most
generic band name ever (I always got them confused with Chronic Disorder); but
it dawns on me: maybe it’s on purpose. This reissue (I guess) starts with a
giddy spoken intro and then flails right off into Mob 47 territory (both in
intensity and vocal clarity). Good, good stuff. The live portion is righteously
noisy and goofy and I think this is one special (lo fi) slab.
–Cuss Baxter (Punk Core)
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CHARGE:
Universal Tribe: CD
A hardcore/metal/reggae melange from four dudes who pay more than a passing respect to Haile Selassie. They are well equipped to do what it is they do, but the "groomed to be the next big thing" vibe I feel oozing from this makes me more than a little uncomfortable. Not questioning their sincerity, just their motives.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Hell Bent)
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CHARGE 69:
Vois Lois Ne Sont Pas Nos Regles: CD
Anthemic French oi that wasn't particularly inspired nor inspirational.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Combat Rock, 7, Rue de Paquis, 5795 Montigny-les-Metz, France)
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CHARGE 69:
Des Mots, des Rires, des Larmes et des Pleurs: LP
This band is from France and has been around since 1993. It’s good solid melodic punk. This LP seems to be a compilation of past material from 7”s and compilations. I must say this stuff is good. A long time ago, they had a 7” come out on Pogo Attack here in the States. After giving the 7” a listen, I phoned Sean from Pogo Attack to tell him it was brilliant. Since that time, things have not changed. That 7” is included on this LP too, so I would say get this LP. This band is good and although they don’t release too much, what they do release is good solid melodic punk. As an extra treat, the vinyl is a bright yellow!
–Guest Contributor (Dirty Faces)
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