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Record Reviews1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 | 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
INOCULATORS, THE:
Dropped Their Brains: CD
I met the singer of this band outside the Troubadour right after I took pictures of the Japanese band Last Target. I was heading home because I wasn’t interested in the other bands, including the headliners. I think The Briefs headlined that night but I was right out the door. Not having gone out to a legitimate club in a while and going to DIY shows lately, I wasn’t feeling the environment. We had a brief conversation that was cordial and he quickly told me about his band. I told him good luck and I was on my way. The guy has a good memory because mine is decaying. Sitting in my in-box was an envelope addressed to me at HQ. He sent me a CD. I listened to the release and I can’t really find fault in the music. But at the current moment, I’m not really feeling it. The songs are melodic and the added ska parts make the songs more interesting. The recording is top notch. These are things that I enjoy in a band. If this was five years ago, I would be drooling over this. This goes into the pile of CDs and records that I have to listen to much later.
–Donofthedead (Inoculators)
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INOCULATORS, THE:
Home for the Holidays: CD
The first song, “Home for the Holidays,” on this CD falls neatly into the normal Inoculators catalogue. It’s a high-energy blast of satirical cadence about most everyman/woman’s lament of going home for the holidays. It would make a great punk rock theme song to that Chevy Chase classic movie, Christmas Vacation. I write “theme” because, lyrically, the song follows the theme of that movie but doesn’t go into specifics of why family holidays suck. If people had relatives like Chase had in that flick, then they would love to have this tune to blast over the antics of their family. The second song on Home for the Holidays is a cover of Sting’s, “Message in a Bottle.”Unlike the original, The Inoculators’ version has harder-hitting drums and vocals that crescendo into almost screaming. It’s hard for me to conceptualize why The Inoculators would decide to release a Sting cover song on a holiday CD, making this record bizarre to me. I’m sure it’s just my own pee-brain problem but part of me always wants to laugh at anything Sting-related because of his pop culture reputation for bragging about having seven-hour tantric sex.
–N.L. Dewart (Self-released)
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INOCULATORS, THE:
Home for the Holidays: CD
The first song is a pop punk tune about hating going home for the holidays. It’s fairly catchy. The second track is a pointless cover of “Message in a Bottle” by the Police. I’m not a huge fan of the Police in the first place and I really never got the point of covering them. If you enjoy pop punk covers of Police tunes, you might dig this.
–Ryan Horky (Self-released, myspace.com/inoculators)
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INQUISITION:
Revolution... I Think It's Called Inspiration: CD
Here's one thing I personally never have seen before. I take the CD out of the promo sleeve, not noticing anything wrong. I popped it in the player and it would not read. Curious, I eject it. The CD looks okay from the top where it's screened. I flip it over and see that the CD is shattered only on the bottom layer. A spider web like crack that resembles a cracked windshield. Either it is the fault of bad manufacturing or someone needs to learn that CDs are not indestructible and take a class in proper mail packaging. So... What does the music sound like? I don't know. All I know is that members of this band went on to play in Strike Anywhere, Ann Beretta and River City High. Glad there was some promo material to read.
–Donofthedead (A-F)
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INQUISITION:
Revolution...I Think It’s Called Inspiration: CD
Crusty punk politics of California’s Fifteen meshed with the unmistakable East Coast radical optimism of Anti Flag. I can’t believe I didn’t hear about this until the repress. How in the hell did I miss this gem the first time around? Highly recommended!!!
–Mr. Z (A-F)
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INSAINTS, THE:
Sins of Saints: CD
The only things i really remember about the Insaints from back when was that they did a record with the Diesel Queens (turns out to be the only record they made), the singer was Tim Yohannan’s girlfriend, and something about a stage show involving lesbians, urine, and a banana (Stop! You had me at “urine!”). That said, in the cold hard light of 21st Century retrospection, i am shocked, grossed and mildly agog that this band was only represented by that one measly split double-45 in the product-happy ‘90s: This shit is pretty fuckin’ good. While i can honestly say that i have never understood the appeal of pierced nipples on any level, and that music which accompanies a noteworthily confrontational stage show is generally either funny once (if that) or abrasive-and-nothing-else (if that), to say that the Insaints sound kinda like one imagines the Avengers might have sounded like were they fronted by a dominatrix (but not in a cheesy way—in, like, a FOR REAL way) is not an untoward stretch of the imagination by any means. A few tracks here and there might bring glimpses of Lunachicksville to mind, but, all told, this stuff has got WAY more in common with the classical model of female-fronted West Coast punk bands (Avengers, UXA, VKTMS, DOA—er, never mind that last one) than i would have ever suspected. Singer Marian Anderson’s fatal OD in 2001 seems as wasteful and stupid as my sister-in-law’s SUV. Could people please stop doing that? BEST SONG: “Losers Club” BEST SONG TITLE: “Mikey Like It” FANTASTIC AMAZING TRIVIA FACT: Record is co-dedicated to Tim Yohannan, whose name is misspelled “Yahannon” twice herein, which is interesting because 1. In Bob Dylan’s book Chronicles: Volume One, he misspells the Minneapolis street name “Hennepin” as “Hinnepen”—reversing the position of the first and last vowel just as was done with “Yahannon;” and 2. The reason why i am highly sensitized to the spelling of Tim’s last name is because i still have the yellow Post-It™ he sent me stating “If you’re gonna bitch slap me, at least spell my name right! It’s YOHANNAN!”
–Rev. Norb (Disaster)
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INSANE:
Mizubukurentamashii: 7"EP
Nice, colorful packaging that opens up in all directions in a cross shape with lyrics and pictures on the inside. Musically, this is a little hard to get the mind around.... For the most part, it's grindy Japanese hardcore, but there's an almost emo undercurrent that causes the songs to lurch and stop, switch volume and tempo. This ain't bad, but it's gonna take some gettin' used to. No wonder the bassist looks painfully constipated.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Answer)
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INSANE:
Mizubukurentamashii: 7"EP
Really wonderful fold-out die cut cover on this eclectic (Japan = natch), but mostly heavy thrash, record player record.
–Cuss Baxter (Answer)
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INSANE'N THE BRAIN:
Mizubukurentamashii: 7" EP
Nice, colorful packaging that opens up in all directions in a cross shape with lyrics and pictures on the inside. Musically, this is a little hard to get the mind around.... For the most part, it's grindy Japanese hardcore, but there's an almost emo undercurrent that causes the songs to lurch and stop, switch volume and tempo. This ain't bad, but it's gonna take some gettin' used to. No wonder the bassist looks painfully constipated.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Answer, Hase Bld No. 2 B1, 5-49, Osu 3 Naka-Ku Nagoya City, Aichi 660, Japan )
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INSANITY DEFENSE:
Epitaph 1982-85: CD
A compendium of recorded material from a N.Y. band that existed during the period identified in the title. The opening salvo of tracks, from the Grudge Against the World demo, stick primarily to the tried and true circa-’82 thrash-o-rama sound, and they’re quite proficient at it, zipping along nice ‘n’ tight. The remaining stuff, from ‘85’s Pilgrim State LP, shows marked progression in structure without sacrificing speed when they get a good head of steam going. Lots of tempo changes, creative structuring, and a clear effort are made to not to fall into the dreaded “generic hardcore” well of misery. One o’ those bands that managed to slip by my ears back in their heyday. It was nice to get a chance to catch up on what I missed.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Welfare)
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INSECT WARFARE / FLAGITIOUS IDIOSYNCRASY IN THE DILAPIDATION:
Split: EP
Insect Warfare are one of the top grind bands in the U.S. today. However, I hear nothing on this record that makes them worthy of the hype. Run of the mill grind with standard high pitched shrieking followed by the low burping stuff. Despite the ridiculous name, Flagitious Idiosyncrasy In The Dilapidation are a bit better. Three blasts of super thrashing grind with the velocity of hurricane winds, and perhaps as sonically destructive. You’ll find this split packaged with Short Fast & Loud #19.
–Matt Average (Six Weeks)
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INSERVIBLES:
Self-titled: 7"
Blistering punk rock from Mexico City with tempos bouncing between mid-tempo and thrash, and vocals drowned in reverb. Three tunes, one side, and I’m guessing a very limited run by the look of it.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Leather Bar, no address listed)
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INSIDE RECESS / EXISTENTIAL DILEMMA:
Split: CD
It is difficult to listen to grind-like metal with a straight face when it tries too hard. There’s a subtle line between fierce and farce, and this pair unintentionally zigzag back and forth across it. Inside Recess juxtapose a spasm of high-pitched screams with gruesomely deep growls, as their music apparently attempts to recreate how a person might react should he or she stumble upon a sleeping black bear, with the following vocals mimicking the now-woken and irritated animal’s “grrrrruuuuuhh.” Sometimes, IR sounds pretty all right, but then at others the shtick resembles sound effects for the TV adaptation of Goosebumps that were cut for being too ridiculous for kids to actually be scared of. Existential Dilemma is mostly the same, but then they decide to go all soft for a couple of admittedly intriguing instrumental tracks. But have no fear, because the action picks back up quickly enough with a very metal track that I affectionately refer to as “Opening Theme to a Count Duckula Marathon.” What’s the point to this kind of metal when it makes you think about how silly it is instead of forcing you to thrash your neck?
–Reyan Ali (Self-released)
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INSOLENTES / TRAS DE NADA:
Split: 7” EP
Both bands lean hard left lyrically—my favorite line is “Bush, un yankee de mierda, asesino”—but differ in musical delivery. While Mexico City’s Insolentes deliver some crushing, atonal hardcore, the short, angry outbursts Chicago’s Tras De Nada is layin’ down are much more suited to my attention span. All told, though, you ain’t gonna go wrong with either side.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Southkore)
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INSOMNIAC FOLKLORE:
A Place Where Runaways Are Not Alone: CD
Good lord, turn the vocals down and the instruments up! This thing is coming off all a cappella when it isn’t supposed to and I will not stand for it. The songs + the album artwork + the photo included + the album name seems like these kids are trying a bit hard to come off as whimsical. All I hear is wacky circus music trying to be passed off as folk.
–Corinne (Business Deal)
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INSOMNIACS, THE:
Switched On!: CD
Either I'm not in the mood for this right now, or this disc of '60s-influenced pop is about as exciting as an Association hit, meaning I've heard junkies nod off harder than this rocks.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Estrus)
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INSOMNIACS, THE:
Switched On b/w 'Bout My Love: 7"
A teaser non-LP b-side single from this long-tenured NJ mod/beat/powerpop outfit; if the Insomniacs = the Jam (which they don't), this would likely occupy the "Start!"/ "When You're Young" slot in the group's pantheon o' hits. I haven't heard an album by these guys since the one with "Ralphie the Beatles Man" on it so i reckon i'd better get on the stick, even though (i admit) the band's truly spectacular moments are few and far between. Neat printed paper sleeve w/cut-out label hole. All is as it should be here. Geshundheit. BEST SONG: "Switched On" BEST SONG TITLE: "'Bout My Love" maybe? FANTASTIC AMAZING TRIVIA FACT: The band lives at PO Box 666 in Englishtown, NJ-the second known instance of a PO Box 666 in Rock'n'Roll (Get Hip Records being the first)
–Guest Contributor (Slovenly)
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INSOMNIACS, THE:
Switched On!: CD
Either I’m not in the mood for this right now, or this disc of ‘60s-influenced pop is about as exciting as an Association hit, meaning I’ve heard junkies nod off harder than this rocks.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Estrus)
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INSOMNIAXE:
No Sleep: CD
Insomniaxe have a fairly standard psychobilly sound, but it doesn’t really come off as pedantic or run-of-the-mill. It gets close at times, mind you, but, overall, I thought that this was a decent outing on their part. I think the reason that I’m not quite astounded by this is because I want Insomniaxe to be tighter; on several of the tunes when they kick things into overdrive and the Fest of the Slapping of the Doghouse Bass begins, it’s as if they need a few seconds to figure out what tempo they want to be playing. But once they get a bit further into the tune, then everything is fine. I guess I just want a better sense of consistency. Given a bit of time, though, I think Insomniaxe could really be something—they’ve got the chops, but they need to carve the roast more precisely.
–The Lord Kveldulfr (Zodiac Killer)
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INSOMNIO:
Happy Loneliness: 12”EP
This Spanish band comes off like if Motörhead were more concerned with their own personal condition (their fears, their happiness, their happy loneliness) and less about playing cards and bombin’ shit, though much less metal and heavily influenced by tortured, moody, ‘80s punk. No matter how punk this 12”EP is, Pin’s vocal delivery and the reverb it’s drenched in is Lemmy-fied with precision. This record was released in the States by No Way Records.
–Daryl Gussin (Trabuc/The Pression)
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INSOUCIANT:
Fall: CD
This foursome from New Jersey is giving off heavy vibes of a lighter version of Rainer Maria. That’s partially because of the contrasting male/female vocals, but it’s also due to using catchy phrases throughout their ten-song album. I can imagine Anna O’Sullivan prancing around on stage like Caithlin DeMarris, contrasting her delicate voice with the harsher, but not overwhelming, male vocals. The band almost comes across with a folk sound at some points, but it’s always mixed in with a good amount of indie sensibilities and style. Some of the songs kind of flew under the radar, but tracks like “Atlas” and “Walk Away” are standouts. It’d be interesting to hear the band give over to their manic energy perhaps a bit more if they can retain some of their harmonies and melodies. As it stands right now, too many of the songs are a bit too mellow for my tastes. Although, the use of the xylophone/vibraphone is always welcome. I hope Insouciant keeps on working to grow and develop their sound. I like what I’m hearing here.
–Kurt Morris (NotRock)
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INSPECT HER GADGET:
Look Harder: CDEP
Oakland, CA all-lady four-piece bring the rock on this seven-song release. “Falling Down” is a full-tilt rocker with some nice bass lines courtesy of new bassist Jen Kamps. “Breaking News” has some nice cowbell that Will Ferrell would be proud of. “Almost Amazing” sounds like the radio-friendly track here, but it’s polished without being overbearing. “Holding On” sounds like Mary’s Danish with more distortion thrown in for good measure. The best tune on here is “Schizo” which rocks with reckless abandon. I could have done with a little less air-brushing on the back cover, but that’s just me. Inspect Her Gadget are the best all female outfit to blast into overdrive since… you thought I was going to say The Donnas? Please. The Pandoras, of course! If they keep rocking, I’ll keep looking harder. Yummy.
–Sean Koepenick (Self-released)
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INSPECTION 12:
In Recovery: CD
What came to mind when I heard this was Green Day. This Jacksonville, Florida four-piece plays melodicore with added touches of keyboards and strings. Very polished and produced well. It was okay, but I don't really see it getting a chance of returning to my CD player again. I really don't have much to say.
–Donofthedead (Honest Don's, PO Box 192027, SF, CA 94119-2027)
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INSPECTION 12:
In Recovery: CD
Inspection 12 have redundantly released a predictable squeaky clean collection of pop-punk splooge that caused me to contemplate hacking my ears off with a big ol’ Outback steak knife. So after less than one listen, I quickly ejected this atrociously annoying disc and violently flung it to the floor. I then proceeded to brutally stomp it into a thousand jagged little pieces before drunkenly defacing its shattered remains with a steady stream of brew-saturated whizz. The overly whiney tear-jerkin’ vocals and flat, lackluster instrumentation disgusted and irritated me to no end. Inspection 12 severely lack energy, creativity, sparkle, and drive. They’re the Barry Manilow of a mediocre musical genre. A complete waste of time! Amen and, yes, I will go to hell.
–Guest Contributor (Honest Don's)
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INSPECTION 12:
In Recovery: CD
What came to mind when I heard this was Green Day. This Jacksonville, Florida four-piece plays melodicore with added touches of keyboards and strings. Very polished and produced well. It was okay, but I don't really see it getting a chance of returning to my CD player again. I really don't have much to say.
–Donofthedead (Honest Don's)
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