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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 | 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
GUILT TRIP!:
Self-titled: 7” EP
Decent enough hardcore here, with alternating slow/fast tempos. Kinda hard, though, to take seriously rants against the internet and lines like “I won’t join the Myspace generation” from a band that includes the address to its Myspace page at the bottom of the insert.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Absent)
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GUILT, THE:
Self-titled: Tape
Ripping hardcore that’s unbelievably solid and tight for a demo. It comes out of D.C., which comes across in its sound, but it’s not overly obvious. It reminds me of Fucked Up at times, too. The lyrics are mostly about emotions, like guilt and depression, which seems kind of cheesy at this point in my life. Nonetheless, they are spat out with a great amount of passion. That I can get behind.
–Craven (Self-released)
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GUILT, THE:
Worth Nothing: Cassette
About twenty years ago, or less, really, these guys could have been on a label like Conversion or New Age. Stylistically, they sound like a straight edge hardcore band, though they don’t really sing about it. Mid-tempo, with big breakdowns, heavy drum sounds, crunchy guitars, gang choruses, and a vocalist who sounds like he’s either really pissed or emotionally overwhelmed. Urgent delivery and they hit on a lot of really good riffs that hold your attention the whole way through. Sometimes the lyrics are a little strange (check out the third verse of “The Situation,” second-to-last verse of “Your Leninism”). This is a pretty sold listen the whole way through, with songs like “Talk Hard” and “Dead Still” being the standouts.
–Matt Average (The Guilt, jamesdoubek@gmail.com)
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GUILTMAKER:
Dilemmas: CD
Big, grandiose performance, heavy on the ::cough:: post-hardcore sound. A bit too emo for me.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Kiss Of Death)
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GUILTY FACES:
Nightmares: 7"
Straight forward early to mid-’80s L.A./O.C.-style punk. I was hearing a bit of D.I. and even some Wasted Youth. Songs are short and to the point. The vocals are, at times, maybe too snotty for their own good and might have carried the songs better if they were a little less stylized. Still, this does pack a nice, nostalgic punch if you dig on that sound.
–Evan Katz (Room 101)
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GUILTY FACES:
Domestic Bliss: LP
Whoa dudes, this is some seriously snotty, bratty punk rock. These Boston kids sounds like they spend their spare time skating empty pools, jamming to a soundtrack of Minor Threat, Circle Jerks, JFA, and the Zero Boys. An authentic take on early ‘80s American punk, without sounding cartoonish, clichéd, or revisionist, it sounds exactly like it should sound: like bored, angry kids finding a way to create their own fun. Equally tough and catchy, the songs know when to end, they don’t drag on too long, and the solos are always tasteful and appropriately placed. The album artwork is really colorful and eye catching, too. Overall, this is a supremely solid debut by the Guilty Faces.
–Jeff Proctor (Deranged)
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GUILTY HEARTS:
Pearls Before Swine: CD
Sounds like my old buddy Hermann Senac (full disclosure alert: he produced Our Band Sucks’ EP while I was still in the band and we have shared more than a few bills and beers over the past nearly twenty years) has found hisself another doozy of a band to get mixed up in. For anyone familiar with his résumé, which includes such genre bending punk outfits as Blood On The Saddle, Crowbar Salvation, Skull Control, Bea Pickles, Groovy Rednecks and others, that this latest endeavor is equally resistant to fitting into some simple pigeonhole should come as no surprise. This time ‘round he and his cohorts—Leon Catfish, Edgar Rodriguez, and Gabriel Hammond—are strip mining a melding of ‘60s slop, sludgy Scientists swampland scree, Gun Club slide-happy roots punk, and maybe even a dash of early Dream Syndicate punkedelia (compare “Seven Days” here to the Syndicate’s “Days of Wine and Roses”). The results are brooding, heavy, at times almost trance-like, always right on point and rarely nothing short of brilliant. With slack-jawed reverence I bask in the awesomeness evidenced here and can’t wait to witness these monstrous Hearts live.
–Jimmy Alvarado (http://www.voodoorhythm.com/)
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GUILTY HEARTS, THE:
Self-Titled: LP
The Guilty Hearts not only kick out the jams, they’re good people. I see them all the time. “When you guys putting out a record?” I’d ask them. “Soon,” front man Leon Pescado would answer. “Well, gimme one when you do!” I’d tell him. And he finally did. And it’s great. Fuck, I knew it’d be good. See, I never ask people for their records. My rationale being, “Fuck it, I don’t wanna give someone I know a bad review when they personally give me the fucking turkey for free.” If I buy the vinyl, or it’s sent to me, no mercy, I’ll rip the fucker to shreds. So I threw this bad boy on and it fucking ruled. The one part Gories, two parts Gun Club hybrid of the Guilty Hearts live show is replicated with Johnnie Walker Black potency on this debut. But then again, what did I expect from a band containing Hermann Senac, original member of Blood on the Saddle, on drums? On second guitar, the Guilty Hearts have the fucking Charles Bukowski of the L.A. punk scene, Edgar Rodriguez. When not falling down or asking for shots of whiskey, Edgar keeps the beat going like only a reformed bassist could. That leaves Leon Pescado (a.k.a. El Niño, a.k.a. El Pescado de Gato) on vocals and slide guitar. Leon’s a shit-hot guitar player; coming up with effortless chord progressions is as easy as a twelve-year-old buying booze in Germany for Pescado. See, I knew all this going into the record. I was really keeping an ear open for production. The Greg Cartwright records these boys listen to obsessively had its influence; The Guilty Hearts is gloriously lo-fi. Fans of In the Red Records don’t wanna sleep on this. Good job, dudes.
–Ryan Leach (Voodoo Rhythm)
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GUILTY PARENTS:
Noro: Cassette
Sounds like Bl’ast’s Power of Expression played by art school dropouts instead of beach kids. You don’t need to eat shrooms to appreciate the remix song tagged at the end of this tape, but if you’re into that sort of thing, I’m sure that it will only enhance the experience.
–Juan Espinosa (Self-released, no address)
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GUITAR BOMB:
Back Alley Jesus: CD
I’m not much of a one man band aficionado by any means, but that’s what this is, and I like it. Going with that, I’m not sure how else to really describe it other than a bunch of rad country/bluesy jams, so I’ll add that this is on Crafty, who get an A+ in the “being stand up dudes” department, for putting out some cool local records, as well as setting up shows, which makes this worth checking out on that merit alone. It’s like the fact that it’s a good record anyway is an added bonus.
–Joe Evans III (Crafty)
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GUITAR BOMB:
Happy Hour at the Silverado: CD
Fairly minimalist bluesy bar rock. I liked some of the older stuff, but at this point, the sleaze shtick kind of wore thin on me. Case in point: The Minor Threat “cover,” of “Straight Edge” that tries to pull the switcharoo, even though he’s actually playing “Out of Step.” GET OUT OF MY DISC MAN.
–Joe Evans III (Crafty/Rockparka, rockparkrecords.com)
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GUITAR FUCKER:
Maximum Napalm Blues: CD
Songs off of this album include: “Porn Flakes,” “In Bed with Mickey Mouse,” “Peter Pan’s Toilet Boy,” “Fuck Me I’m Poor.” Pretty self-explanatory. I’d use this disc for skeet shooting, but my girlfriend took my shotgun away cuz she was afraid I’d end up shooting myself in the head.
–Ryan Leach (Little Records, www.little.ch)
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GUITAR GANGSTERS:
Another Day in Pleasantville: CD
The new album from this group of poppy English oi-sters is not as instantly catchy as the last album I heard from them, namely Road to Reality. The hooks don’t seem as obvious this time around and I’m just not enjoying same sense of immediate gratification I did with the other aforementioned disc. I do think this is a temporary setback, though and, with time, I can definitely see this growing on me.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Captain Oi)
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GUITAR GANGSTERS:
Let ’Em Have It: CD
As has become expected from these guys, this is poppy UK punk of the first order from a band that fits nicely between Cocksparrer at their most anthemic and the Undertones at their poppiest. The cover of the Four Seasons’ “Can’t Take My Eyes off of You” was quite good, but the cover of Dennis Brown’s “Money in My Pocket” was even better. Few bands mining this territory seem to get it right. This is one of those few.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Captain Oi)
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GUITAR GANGSTERS:
Razor Cuts—The Best of (So Far): CD
If you have any affection for the post-Slade poppy punk of bands like Cocksparrer, the post-Pistols explorations of the Professionals, or the mid-career high points of the Ramones and you haven’t heard these guys, you’ve been missing the boat. These guys hit all those markers with ease, yet still keep themselves firmly rooted in whatever present in which they find themselves and put enough of their own spin on the punk template to not sound like a tribute band. Their songs are intelligent, deftly executed and, most importantly, hellafied catchy, and this collection culled from their body of work shows they’ve been fairly consistent on all fronts over the course of their long life. This’ll get some good wear ’n’ tear on yer stereo.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Captain Oi)
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GUITAR GANGSTERS:
Another Day in Pleasantville: CD
The new album from this group of poppy English oi-sters is not as instantly catchy as the last album I heard from them, namely Road to Reality. The hooks don’t seem as obvious this time around and I’m just not enjoying same sense of immediate gratification I did with the other aforementioned disc. I do think this is a temporary setback, though and, with time, I can definitely see this growing on me.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Captain Oi)
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GUITAR WOLF:
Golden Black: CD
I dunno if this being released now has anything to do with the passing of Bass Wolf, but regardless, it’s a nice reminder. In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past ten years, Guitar Wolf is a Japanese trio that plays the rawest, most primitive garage rock you’ve ever heard. They’ve been releasing shittily-recorded, out-of-tune records of blown-out rock’n’roll destruction since 1997, and this is a collection of some greatest hits, some rare and out-of-print stuff, and all your faves. It spans their entire career, up until 2005’s Loverock. Great packaging, a nice selection of tracks; this is the perfect starting point for anyone curious about Guitar Wolf, and an excellent collection for old fans as well.
–ben (Narnack)
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GUITAR WOLF:
Jet Satisfaction: 10”
The seminal Japanese band Guitar Wolf has toured in America twice in the last year. They never seem to age and never disappoint. This recent ten-inch is five songs of extremely overdriven punk rock and roll. They cannot become irrelevant; sweaty leather gods forever!!!
–Billups Allen (guitarwolf.net)
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GULL:
The Thin King: 7”EP
Higher-registered, effect-heavy vocals. Proficient and very noodly musicianship. Circular and weaving song structure. Interludes into percussive, drum-circley arts. I think it’s one dude. I get the feeling that if he could clone himself three times, a looser Rush would be the goal. This is all over the place. Unfortunately, not the places I want to be or like hanging out in. Perhaps as background to an art opening? Not sure.
–Todd Taylor (Molsook)
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GUMBABIES, THE:
Another Ragged Army: CD EP
Have I ever mentioned that I have a thing for German bands? I’m not sure what it is, but chances are that if it’s from Deutschland I’m gonna like it. Spermbirds, Wizo, But Alive… Love ‘em all. Well, it looks like I’m adding another one to my list. The Gumbabies are not only German (but sing in English), but the singer sounds like Duane Peters! Wooooo, as if there could be anything better than a German US Bombs (DE Bombs?).
–Ty Stranglehold (Caustic Rock)
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GUMBABIES, THE:
Another Ragged Army: CDEP
Have I ever mentioned that I have a thing for German bands? I’m not sure what it is, but chances are that if it’s from Deutschland I’m gonna like it. Spermbirds, Wizo, But Alive… Love ‘em all. Well, it looks like I’m adding another one to my list. The Gumbabies are not only German (but sing in English), but the singer sounds like Duane Peters! Wooooo, as if there could be anything better than a German US Bombs (DE Bombs?).
–Ty Stranglehold (Caustic Rock)
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GUMBI:
Ritual: 7” EP
Four tracks of sludgy skronk rock. Better than some, but definitely one o’ them discs you gotta be in the right mood for or it’ll fuck up yer day and, well, put you in a mood perfect for listening to it. Fuckers.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Repulsion)
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GUN CALLED TENSION, A / TRIUMPH OF LETHARGY:
Skinned Alive to Death: Split 7”
A split tribute by Leonard Cohen nerds for Leonard Cohen nerds, which isn’t something I would normally go apeshit over, superhero lineups or no. Triumph Of Lethargy (Spencer Moody, Corey Brewer and Dann Galluci) cover a venomous “Diamond in the Mine,” while AGCT’s (Dan Gallucci, Sean Reveron) “There Is a War” is re-realized as a dub jam. In the end, I got suckered into the nerd side of it.
–bree (Go Midnight)
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GUN CLUB, THE:
Ahmed’s Wild Dream (reissue): CD
Ahmed’s Wild Dream (2008) is a reissue of the Gun Club’s hard-to-find
album of the same name. Originally put out in 1993—three years before (Gun Club
figurehead) Jeffrey Lee Pierce’s untimely death—Ahmed’s equitably culls songs from the Gun Club’s
then-current catalogue, spanning 1981’s Fire of Love to 1990’s Pastoral Hide and Seek. The recording on Ahmed’s is of soundboard quality and the group’s
performance is amazing. Although the second lineup of the Gun Club (the band
represented here—Pierce, Romi Mori, Nick Sanderson, Kid Congo Powers) is often
shortchanged by fans, it was of equal artistic stature as the original
group—but for very different reasons, namely a maturation in Jeffrey’s
songwriting and guitar playing. Simply put, the first Gun Club (1981-1984) and
the second Gun Club (1984-1994) were so conceptually and stylistically
different from one another that they’re the same band in name only. And it’s
the qualities found in the second lineup that naturally stand out on Ahmed’s. Lyrically some of Jeffrey’s strongest material is
present—the East Los Angeles recollections of “Lupita Screams” and the
anti-imperialism protests of “Another Country’s Young,” the latter an erudite
expedition into hitherto unknown subject matter just prior to the release of Ahmed’s. Musically the group is tight beyond belief, but
what really stands out is Pierce’s guitar playing, particularly on “Go Tell the
Mountain,” a song that has long instrumentation showcasing Jeffrey’s sublime
guitar playing. And it’s Pierce’s guitar work that’s the real gem of this
album. It’s fucking hypnotic—someone once asked me if Dave Alvin dubbed over
Jeffrey’s guitar work from this period; nope: Pierce had gotten that good!
There is a slight drawback to Ahmed’s: its well-roundedness. Normally, this would be an asset to a live
album, but the early stuff (“Sex Beat,” “Preachin’ the Blues”) seems more like
a concession to fans than the Gun Club’s desire to play earlier tracks. The
Fire of Love-era songs on Ahmed’s are good, but they’re fucking awesome with the
1981 lineup. And this is probably indicative of Jeffrey’s restlessness: he was
always changing, irrespective of trends or others’ desires. Just as I have
difficulty envisioning Ward Dotson playing “Another Country’s Young,” there’s a
slight amount of cognitive dissonance I feel hearing this lineup play “Preachin’
the Blues.” Nevertheless, Ahmed’s is a strong live album from the Gun Club…. A testament to Jeffrey Lee
Pierce’s deserved position as one of Los Angeles’s greatest songwriters.
–Ryan Leach (Cherry Red, www.cherryred.co.uk)
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GUN CRAZY:
Dropping Like Flies: CD
Some rippin’ punk rock’n’roll from Austin, struttin’, swaggerin’ and slangin’ its charm like a high-end call girl in the midst of a ship full of horny sailors. I’ve been a bit burned out on this genre for a while now, but when something this cool comes along, you can’t help but pay attention, and this is worthy of frequent listens.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Mortville)
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