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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
COFFIN SHAKERS:
Halloween: 7"EP
Picture Johnny Cash on a horror/B‑movie trip.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Reanimator)
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COFFINBERRY:
From Now On Now: CD
More of a college radio meets post punk affair that reminded me of a mixture of Sugar, the Pixies, and the Replacements.
–Donofthedead (Morphius)
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COFFINBERRY:
God Dam Dogs: CD
Alex Chilton-inspired indie rock for teenagers who don’t know Alex Chilton from Paul Westeberg. Honestly, better than most, but not Black Time or anything. File under “I’d rather being reading Michel Foucault.”
–Ryan Leach (Morphius)
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COFFINBERRY:
Self-titled: CD
I’m usually a little leery when well-recorded indie music states that it’s tracked on a Tascam Portastudio. Though I respect DIY 8-track endeavors, usually what the audience is not told is what silly expensive outboard gear the group used, if any, or the accolades of the mixer or master person. With that written, Coffinberry has a honed indie style of rock music. They know how to explore different sounds from modern influenced altcountry a la “Celebrate the Holy Innocents” to textural guitar pop, i.e. Lorena. This is a well-crafted indie effort that sounds experimental without being pretentious and it’s recorded on an 8-track…well done.
–N.L. Dewart (Collectible Escalators)
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COFFINBERRY:
Self-titled: 7"
Think mod with vocals that don’t fit, which doesn’t mean I like one and not the other. I hate them both equally.
–Megan Pants (Exit Stencil)
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COG:
Course Over Ground: CD
I was intrigued by this band when I read their one-sheet and saw that these guys are total Steve Albini nuts. Now, seeing as anything that Albini has played on is pure gold to me, I had to give this a listen. Cog gets the sparse sound of Shellac down pat, with trebly guitars, heavy bass, and syncopated drum lines. The problem with the whole affair is that even though the band has the indie-noise rock sound and style of Shellac, they seem to be missing the personality that shines through on Shellac albums. It’s hard to call any of this bad, but it is pretty indistinct in the long run, as it is very competent musically, but without the eccentricities that define the bulk of Shellac’s amazing body of work. Did I mention this band is from Croatia? They’re from Croatia.
–Adrian (Moonlee)
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COGNITIVE DISSONANCE:
Into Madness: LP
Cognitive Dissonance has been shredding faces for several years now, both on the road and on recording. They’ve managed to capture the blistering intensity of their live set on this, their most recent LP. Cognitive Dissonance plays raw, heavy crust with a strong tinge of black metal. Into Madness features seven new songs and a rerecording of an early song, “Omens of Doom,” from the tape of the same name. There’s just the right mix of grit and polish on this recording, capturing the band’s live experience without losing one note of their great riffs and nonstop shredding. “Repercussions” and “Remain” were two tracks whose riffs I particularly enjoyed. Lyrically, the band is on point, with sharp lyrics conveying green, anarchist, and DIY punk ethics in straightforward and relatable language. I particularly enjoyed the lyrics to “Manufactured Genocide” for its challenge to eating meat. Not only is this record excellent musically, but it also features great liner notes in the form of a black and white printed zine. Lyrics to each song are provided, along with commentary, as well as some badass looking photos and art by an array of talented artists. This keeps finding its way back onto my turntable for repeated listens, and you should do yourself a favor and get it on your turntable as soon as possible. I can’t recommend it enough.
–Paul J. Comeau (Ecophagy, ecophagylv@gmail.com, piratefrontier@hotmail.com)
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COHO:
Things Change: CD
Coho is a Seattle-area band whose music contains reminders of such indie rock bands as Explosions In The Sky and Minus The Bear. At the beginning of some of the tracks and in between are tunes about Gandhi and losing friends that all seem really heartfelt and endearing. The vocalist (no clarification is given on which member it is) has a really great voice that’s engaging and strong. None of this is very original or groundbreaking, but with such great vocals and a nice mix of electronic beats and acoustic guitar, Coho definitely stands out a little bit compared to the general indie rock masses.
–Kurt Morris (Lujo)
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COKE BUST:
Lines in the Sand: CD
Playing hardcore punk is kinda like playing the blues, in that it’s deceptively simple. Sure, anyone with a rudimentary grasp of how to play an instrument and the mechanics of the genre can string together enough chords and conventions to crank out a tune, but it’s a helluva lot tougher than it looks to do it well, and it’s a friggin’ hat trick of another sort to put together enough consistently solid tunes to make a good 7” EP, let alone a full-length. Coke Bust turns in seventeen tracks of ADD-length bursts here, the bulk of which vacillates between warp factor nine thrash and full-bore grind, with little of the metal trappings that often accompany similar bands’ music. While it does begin to become a bit of a blur after a while, especially with the inclusion here of a number of additional tracks from assorted comps and EPs, they manage to pull off said hat trick, and the infusion of what sounds like righteous anger and their willingness to push a little at the conventions of a number of genre’s sub-pigeonholes keeps them ahead of the pack. If you’re a fan of the granddaddies in this field—DRI, Deep Wound, Siege, et. al.—you’re gonna find loads to get excited over.
–Jimmy Alvarado (sixweeksrecords.com)
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COKE BUST:
Lines in the Sand: CD
All go, no fucking slow! Deep Wound perfected it, Coke Bust follows suit nicely. Thirty-three songs compiling their latest Lines in the Sand LP, an EP, and some demo songs. I was almost sure that this was going to be too much for me to take in all at once but, luckily, the longest song on here is only two minutes and the rest speed by in blissful seconds. If you fancy Deadfall or What Happens Next?, then I’m sure you’ll love this
–Juan Espinosa (Six Weeks)
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COKE BUST:
Lines in the Sand: CD
The vinyl version of this record was released a while ago, but Six Weeks just released the CD with fifteen bonus tracks (all previously released, though on more obscure releases). Coke Bust aren’t opening any new doors in fast hardcore, but these songs are definitely full-on thrash core and full of the vim and vigor you should expect out of the genre. Old Vitamin X comes to mind, and I Object before they got boring. Sure, it all sounds like Minor Threat, but that’s not a bad thing, is it? The older tracks are definitely worth having and are a worthwhile addition to the disc. The packaging is great, as the CD booklet is thick with lyrics, photos, and show flyers. If you’re going to buy a CD version of something previously released on vinyl, you’d want it to look like this.
–Ian Wise (Six Weeks)
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COKE BUST:
Degradation EP: 7”
With these six songs, Coke Bust harnesses the power of three modes: feedback-infested pauses; driving, guttural hardcore; and straight-up blastbeats. Transitioning between the three, they drag you by the hair through song topics regarding the endless—and maddening—trials of life, the drawbacks of using illicit, destructive substances, elitism in the scene, and a couple more. Fans of raging fast hardcore should definitely seek this EP out. Tight band-shirt points go to the drummer, Chris, for sporting an In Disgust shirt and a RVIVR shirt in separate photos. Bad ass.
–Daryl Gussin (Grave Mistake)
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COKE DARES, THE /:
Split: 7”
So Glenn Danzig and Siouxsie Sioux coupled, right? And she eventually gave birth to a little vampire baby. The little vampire baby wanted to, like, suck bone marrow and all that shit, all that stuff vampire babies like to do. But this one, he also wanted to be Tom Jones so fucking bad. He’d listen to TJ’s live LPs all night long. Studying his moves, his persona, his sex appeal, all that. That vampire baby, I’m quite convinced, is Mark Mallman. His side of the split is a shlocky, campy, spooky tune called “In Love Witcha.” Kind of like if The Minds decided to cover the very first Misfits 7”, but they were more goth than they actually are and had smoked a ton of pot earlier that day and didn’t really play any instrument that well besides the organ. And plus, they all wanted to be Tom Jones. Yeah, you’re right, it’s a stretch, but you get the idea. The Coke Dares fare much better, if only because I’m pretty sure all three of their songs run under a minute long each. Pretty inoffensive, low-key, kinda sorta punk stuff. The one-sheet that came with this says they’re “simply a fucking riot,” but I’m gonna have to disagree with that one. But at least they’re not a goddamn vampire baby who wants to be Tom Jones, right? Comes with a CD-R of the same songs from the 7”, which is a nice idea.
–Keith Rosson (Nodak)
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COKEROCKET / SINGING DOGS:
Split: 7”
A fine four-song split 7” of garage rock from an Italian label. Cokerocket delivers the goods on side A, sounding a bit like a roughed-up version of the Epoxies and I also enjoyed their song titles, “Unibrow Clan” and “Do The Dishes.” The B side is the Singing Dogs, who are less melodic and heavier, but keep the energy level high and also have their charms.
–Jake Shut (Primitive)
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COLA FREAKS:
Self-titled: CD
Cola Freaks have yet to let me down, and I figured this would be good, but this goes way beyond any expectations I had. They’ve fleshed out their minimal punk sound with a keyboard, more low end, a darker side (maybe some goth influences?), and thrust in the songs. The opener, “Uppers & Downers,” hits the listener right between the eyes from the first note, then they take you on through the remaining ten tracks varying the tempos, messing with textures, and they keep the energy at a constant boil. They slow things down a bit with “Kniven,” “Slå Ihjel,” “Eder Ord,” but then they pick up the pace with total rippers like “Hva Dü På?” and “Skibet Synker.” In the past, it would have been easy to make comparisons to older bands from the ‘70s and early ‘80s, and while Cola Freaks still have that sound, this album shows they’re expanding and making a style that’s all their own. Awesome album the whole way, and a high point in an already flawless catalog.
–Matt Average (Hjernespind, hjernespind.com)
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COLA FREAKS:
Self-titled: 7”EP
This has all the earmarks of me no-brainingly drooling over this—like somewhere between Gorilla Angreb and The Vicious (2000s Scandinavia semaphoring late ‘70s L.A. punk)—but I’m just kinda shruggin’ instead of soiling my whites and I don’t know why. Here’s my guess: it sounds too captured and too all right with being in captivity, probably because they made their own pen. After the fifth try, The Cola Freaks just didn’t rattle my cage. Sorry.
–Todd Taylor (Hjernespind)
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COLA FREAKS:
Self-titled: EP
Really good stuff here.
Guitar-driven punk rock similar to the Vicious and Observers with its straight
forward approach and overall flow of the songs. More about mood than bashing
you over the head. “Ingenting Set” opens up with a mid tempo pace and a little
bit forlorn melody. “Gi Mig Piller” is the most upbeat of the three songs and “Ctrl
Alt Delete” closes off somewhere in between: upbeat and introspective. Worth
seeking out.
–Matt Average (Hjernespind)
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COLA FREAKS:
“Dødt Batteri” b/w “Nej!”: 7”
Wow! What the fuck? This is not what I thought this band sounded like. This is such a weird and pleasurable blend of raw Swedish assault hardcore and delicious Danish pop. It seems like there’s so much deconstruction going on here; I’m not even sure if this fits into a genre of music. Taking the most basic elements of punk, pop, and garage and mutilating them to pieces until it sounds like a band that formed in the basement of a mental institution. For fans of both Instäng and Gorilla Angreb; plus the rest of those great European bands, except I don’t feel like anyone in the Cola Freaks spends much time in the morning deciding which color beret they should wear.
–Daryl Gussin (Local Cross)
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COLA FREAKS:
Self-titled: LP
At its core, you have Danish mid-tempo punk, but there’s a slightly eerie tautness just under the surface that adds a dark and unsettling tinge to the tunes, which in turn makes the whole thing all the more interesting a listen. Don’t have the foggiest idea at all what the singer’s going on about, and, frankly, I don’t wanna know, ‘cause anything less than that absolutely bizarre lyrical fodder I’m imagining going along with the music and the Blinkoesque cover art would only spoil the magic. –Jimmy Alvarado (Douchemaster)
–Jimmy Alvarado (Douchemaster)
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COLA FREAKS:
Farvel: 7” single
So, these guys came over sometime in the past year or so, and played Beerland in Austin. No where else. Just Beerland. I thought that was pretty strange. Why come over the USA, and only play one show? Well, turns out they were playing a show sponsored by that car company, the one that makes shitty plastic box shaped cars, akin to a glorified Matchbox car. That car company that somehow gets all these bands, metal and punk, to play “free” shows. Corporate sponsorship is corporate sponsorship. No matter if it’s beer, shoes, or cars. It tarnishes a band, especially in a scene like punk. It’s like if your lover fucked around, and you found out. Would you be cool with it? Say you were—you know there’s going to be that nagging doubt forever in the back of your mind. Well... Before this turns into a column, I’ll stop with the editorializing, and talk about this single. Like everything they’ve done before, it’s pretty damn good. I was skeptical of the Avengers’ cover (“Car Crash”), but they pull it off and give it little more of a boost; just check out the bass and how it has a strong driving presence in the mix. “Farvel” is an original, and more along the lines to the direction they headed on their album. The keyboard figures in, giving this an early L.A. feel. It’s bouncy, it’s quick, it’s catchy, and pretty damn good. Yes, pick this up. I still like these guys. But, things are a little different now. Something has come between us.
–Matt Average (Local Cross, localcross.com)
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COLBOM:
Famous Last Words: 7"
Decent enough mid-tempo
punk with well-written lyrics. Nice of ‘em to include little explanations for
each song, too.
–Jimmy Alvarado (No Idea)
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COLD CAVE:
Cherish the Light Years: CD
For anyone who’s followed Wes Eisold’s evolution from early-through-later American Nightmare, to Some Girls, to Cold Cave’s first-through-current output, it’s hardly surprising to see him nodding so emphatically to the who’s who of ‘80s darkwave/synthpop (in fact, it’s no secret that Wes and the Makeoutclub crew had plenty to do with scores of early ‘00s hardcore nerds alternating their Panic longsleeves with Smiths and Sisters Of Mercy swag). While Cold Cave’s first proper full length, Loves Comes Close, was enjoyable in spite of its unabashed throwbackedness and occasionally cringe-worthy lyrics and delivery, Cherish the Light Years manages to shake off some of those shortcomings by avoiding unnecessary clichés and ramping up tempos considerably. Wes’s vocals remain both affected and somewhat limited, but considering the genre, it works quite well. Not mindblowing or anything, but certainly a progression and a job well done.
–Dave Williams (Matador)
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COLD ONES:
Self-titled: 7”
Cold Ones come from
Liverpool with some hardcore punk, emphasizing the punk elements. Sometimes it
gets a bit rockin’; sometimes it gets a bit cheesy. For the most part, they
sing about drinking and being downtrodden. In case you didn’t catch it, their
name is a reference to beer. The closing tracks on both sides hit harder than
the rest of them. Pretty good stuff. (The last track on the first side is my
favorite on here.) The cheese is to be found smothering the opening track on
the second side. It opens like some hair metal crap from the Sunset Strip
twenty years ago, and it has lyrics to match (the title is “Cold Blooded Hot
Lover,“ from which the lyrics don’t stray too far). The opening track on the
first side kinda threw me off, too. It has a skate-influenced street punk feel
to it with lyrics à la Misfits (it’s called “Evil Eye”). Kinda sounds like it could
be on one of those Tony Hawk games.
–Vincent Battilana (Ghost City)
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COLD ONES:
Stay Thirsty!: 7”
Six songs by these British dudes who, for all intents and purposes, are probably flat-out crazy live. The songs are tough to pigeonhole—if the vocals were more brutal, we could call it hardcore—it’s fast and punchy enough. But if the vocalist hit a few more notes here and there, we could run with the “fast as shit street punk” tag and be okay too. As it is, it just comes off as energetic, foaming-at-the-mouth punk on a serious bender. Like Go Sell Drugs if they were way tighter, or the Supersuckers if they tried to cover Glass And Ashes in a minute and a half. Put it this way: if these dudes were from Portland, they’d be playing shows with Autistic Youth or Science Of Yabra and would fit right in either way, while quite possibly blowing both bands out of the water. Clear vinyl, a download card, and the surefire knowledge that everything gelled with this release. One of those rare records that totally gets me stoked on the 7” format again.
–Keith Rosson (Zandor)
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COLD ONES, THE:
Self-titled: 7”EP
A Gainesville dude band.
(Even if I’m wrong, geographically, the sonic geography checks out.) And I mean
that in a good way. You get the feeling that they love Tom Petty and would
fight for decent Merle Haggard tickets, but feel more comfortable playing
straight-ahead (on first listen) good-weird punk (Fay Wray, The Nervous Dogs,
and Watson come to mind). It’s got the feeling of open air flea market,
Florida-sized cockroaches, flatland underdogs in flip flops playing in a bar
where most of the clientele have knives clipped on them somewhere (for either
work or “protection.”). The Cold Ones don’t blow me away, leaving me in the
middle of the street without my clothes, but I really enjoy their three songs,
and I have a feeling I’ll be spinning this 7” often. It’s like sitting down at
a bar and being happy that the locals are already there.
–Todd Taylor (Sooooo Intense
)
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