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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 | 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
NOFX:
Insulted by Germans… Again b/w Fanmail: 7”
Having some discretionary income at their disposal, NOFX is releasing a 7” every month for a year as a sort of fans-only release (I think) decorated with artwork submitted by their fans. It’s that sort of forward-thinking dumbassery that NOFX’s famous for, and the 7” that kicks it all off ain’t too shabby. Clear, snotty and whiney punk that makes most critics cringe, the suburbs squeal with glee, and chain wallets jangle the world over. Me, I like ‘em, ignoring the average dickery of their typical fan. The b-side’s a Dickies cover.
–Todd Taylor (Fat)
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NOFX:
Arming the Proletariat with Potato Guns b/w I Am Going to Hell for This One: 7”
Since this is #2 of the series, I’m developing a couple of new theories. I think the backs of all the records are going to be some sort of puzzle, that when all twelve are put together, it’ll look like a big poster. There’s also a running joke about a punk, a rabbi, and a Republican forming in the matrix area of the vinyl. The a-side is El Jefe’s horn front and center, and there are no lyrics. The band just does a round robin telling jokes. It fades off into applause. Ehh. The b-side’s much better, talks shit about the current state of fear-driven Christianity, and correctly uses the word “hauteur.” The vinyl, so far, looks pukey and diarrhea-y and matches the shade of color on the back of the record jackets. I’ll keep you posted with developments.
–Todd Taylor (Fat)
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NOFX:
Wolves in Wolves’ Clothing: CD
It seems like the boys have got there mojo workin’ on full tilt these days. This CD is so jam packed that they had to leave some recent songs like “There’s No Fun in Fundamentalism” for the B-sides pile. But all the hot topics are on display here, told with a healthy dose of sarcasm and contempt. Religion, politics, drugs and drinking are all song fodder. “Seeing Double at the Triple Rock” is a great example as Fat Mike sings— “Its 3 o’clock at The Triple Rock, another round of watching Paddy talk/it’s where you wanna get snowed in when you get snowed in.” Other tunes that had me spittin’ up my Cheerios are “Leaving Jesusland” and “Getting High on the Down Low.” But if you want to know what NOFX are about, just listen to “60 Percent”, which is their “Treatment Bound” — “We’re the self crowned kings of candor, sultans of slander/which mean we make more money/we’ve got better prescriptions/we own most of our own music/no one’s got their hands in our pockets/we don’t have management/we get to play loaded/and only 3 months a year.” What a fucking life.
–Sean Koepenick (Fat Wreck)
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NOFX:
Wolves in Wolves’ Clothing: CD
It seems like the boys have got there mojo workin’ on full tilt these days. This CD is so jam packed that they had to leave some recent songs like “There’s No Fun in Fundamentalism” for the B-sides pile. But all the hot topics are on display here, told with a healthy dose of sarcasm and contempt. Religion, politics, drugs and drinking are all song fodder. “Seeing Double at the Triple Rock” is a great example as Fat Mike sings— “Its 3 o’clock at The Triple Rock, another round of watching Paddy talk/it’s where you wanna get snowed in when you get snowed in.” Other tunes that had me spittin’ up my Cheerios are “Leaving Jesusland” and “Getting High on the Down Low.” But if you want to know what NOFX are about, just listen to “60 Percent”, which is their “Treatment Bound” — “We’re the self crowned kings of candor, sultans of slander/which mean we make more money/we’ve got better prescriptions/we own most of our own music/no one’s got their hands in our pockets/we don’t have management/we get to play loaded/and only 3 months a year.” What a fucking life.
–Sean Koepenick (Fat Wreck)
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NOFX:
Wolves in Wolves’ Clothing: CD
Oh no! I must admit that, despite the dangerously-high percentage of baggy pants found on this band’s fan base, I’ve been a huge fan since I was fifteen and spent most of my time telling dumb jokes and drawing even dumber pictures. (Some things don’t change.) But this time around they’ve fucked with the Midwest, and I CANNOT let this stand! Lyrics like, “We call the heartland, not very smartland,” and then some ramblings about how everyone in the mighty Midwest hates gay people and immigrants. Untrue, says I, from my hometown of Milwaukee (first city to elect a socialist mayor)! In the name of all things cheese-based, I must give this album, despite its referencing of the Triple Rock and Paddy (D4), two thumbs down! Goddamn west coast! This is Special K. Yuck!
–Maddy (Fat Wreck Chords)
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NOFX:
Never Trust a Hippy: CD EP
No matter how much shit people talk about NOFX, they are still here. From their early beginnings on rip-off label Mystic, to being an integral part of making Epitaph what it is today, and to creating a label that is run with precision and takes care of its bands from top to bottom. I read somewhere one of their records that was released on Epitaph went platinum. If you don’t know what that means, that is one million copies. The band gets to do something they love and not have to get a REAL job. I’m envious of that. I’m not the biggest fan, but I do like some of their stuff. In fact, the current stuff is the stuff I like. I thought The Decline was brilliant. The War on Errorism had some great songs on there too. So this release continues on their progression. The band has a signature sound that is undeniable. But with careful listening, I can always hear some things that sound new to their approach. Take for instance, “Seeing Double at the Triple Rock.” It sounds like Motörhead’s interpretation of a NOFX Song. All the other songs on this EP are consistent and easily listenable. Hats off to these guys for pushing forward all these years.
–Donofthedead (Fat)
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NOFX:
Never Trust a Hippy: CD EP
Here it is, the new EP from Fat Mike and the gang featuring two songs off their forth coming full length, Wolves in Wolves Clothing, and four unreleased tunes. The first song is about drinking and partying with Paddy and the rest of Dillinger Four at the Triple Rock in Minnesota. I’ve never had the pleasure of drinking with these fine folks, but from what I’ve heard already, the lyrics to this song seem to fit the bill perfectly. The next song, “The Marxist Brothers,” is a sarcastic poke at Marxists of the new millennium with their hybrid cars, ebay shopping and podcasts... pretty funny, but I would have enjoyed it more if it was a new version of their classic Moron Brothers tune with new lyrics. The third song is a well done Germs cover. The next song, “You’re Wrong,” is a political song used as Fat Mike’s soap box minute, and it’s pretty horrible as it’s just Fat Mike strumming his guitar and trying to sing in tune. Great choice in signing Against Me! to Fat Wreck, but don’t try and record an Against Me! style song just because you like how they sound. I’m sorry but it just doesn’t work—especially when the song is two minutes long and spouts even more one-sided rhetoric than a Propaghandi album. The next two songs are more of what you come to expect from NOFX, but nothing special. Not sure how I liked this CD as I’d much rather be listening to The Decline or So Long and Thanks For All The Shoes. There’s something to be said when the new, unreleased Randy (the band) song “Beware,” available online right now for free which features Fat Mike (taking up half the lead and backing vocal duties), is better than all of the songs on this EP.
–Mr. Z (Fat)
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NOFX:
You Will Lose the Faith b/w Last Night Was Really Fun: 7"
Tenth in the year-long monthly series, and it sounds like how a hangover feels. The A-side is an acoustic—Fat Mike and a guitar—song about Christians losing faith. Bummer and a so-so song at best. The B-side’s lyrically clever, and about blacking out while continuing to party (and fuck, and get in fights, and getting sharpied). Both songs are pretty stripped down, slower, and subdued. Not my favorite of the series by any stretch.
–Todd Taylor (Fat)
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NOFX:
There’s No Fun in Fundamentalism b/w Fungus, I’m a Huge Fan of Bad Religion: 7”
I’ll admit it right off the bat that I’m prejudiced. I don’t like rich people. Pretty much hate ‘em. Class war. There’s a line you do not cross. That type of thing. Fat Mike’s probably the only millionaire I actually admire. Because he could take the easy route out. By some lucky horseshoe, NOFX has had the suburbs in the palm of their hands for over a decade. And instead of just going out and peddling some shoes at the Warped Tour, he makes it plain and simple (and funny, and catchy) on the A-side that dogmatism in religion is unequivocally fucked. (Priests molesting children and how many Middle Eastern religions treat women are two easy examples.) And if that shakes some kid up—who’s stuck in the stucco nightmare inside the bowels of a planned community to a new way of looking—awesome. The b-side’s a throwaway. Khaki-colored vinyl.
–Todd Taylor (Fat)
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NOFX:
Never Trust a Hippy: CDEP
No matter how much shit people talk about NOFX, they are still here. From their early beginnings on rip-off label Mystic, to being an integral part of making Epitaph what it is today, and to creating a label that is run with precision and takes care of its bands from top to bottom. I read somewhere one of their records that was released on Epitaph went platinum. If you don’t know what that means, that is one million copies. The band gets to do something they love and not have to get a REAL job. I’m envious of that. I’m not the biggest fan, but I do like some of their stuff. In fact, the current stuff is the stuff I like. I thought The Decline was brilliant. The War on Errorism had some great songs on there too. So this release continues on their progression. The band has a signature sound that is undeniable. But with careful listening, I can always hear some things that sound new to their approach. Take for instance, “Seeing Double at the Triple Rock.” It sounds like Motörhead’s interpretation of a NOFX Song. All the other songs on this EP are consistent and easily listenable. Hats off to these guys for pushing forward all these years.
–Donofthedead (Fat)
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NOFX:
Never Trust a Hippy: CDEP
Here it is, the new EP from Fat Mike and the gang featuring two songs off their forth coming full length, Wolves in Wolves Clothing, and four unreleased tunes. The first song is about drinking and partying with Paddy and the rest of Dillinger Four at the Triple Rock in Minnesota. I’ve never had the pleasure of drinking with these fine folks, but from what I’ve heard already, the lyrics to this song seem to fit the bill perfectly. The next song, “The Marxist Brothers,” is a sarcastic poke at Marxists of the new millennium with their hybrid cars, ebay shopping and podcasts... pretty funny, but I would have enjoyed it more if it was a new version of their classic Moron Brothers tune with new lyrics. The third song is a well done Germs cover. The next song, “You’re Wrong,” is a political song used as Fat Mike’s soap box minute, and it’s pretty horrible as it’s just Fat Mike strumming his guitar and trying to sing in tune. Great choice in signing Against Me! to Fat Wreck, but don’t try and record an Against Me! style song just because you like how they sound. I’m sorry but it just doesn’t work—especially when the song is two minutes long and spouts even more one-sided rhetoric than a Propaghandi album. The next two songs are more of what you come to expect from NOFX, but nothing special. Not sure how I liked this CD as I’d much rather be listening to The Decline or So Long and Thanks For All The Shoes. There’s something to be said when the new, unreleased Randy (the band) song “Beware,” available online right now for free which features Fat Mike (taking up half the lead and backing vocal duties), is better than all of the songs on this EP.
–Mr. Z (Fat Wreck)
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NOFX:
You Will Lose the Faith b/w Last Night Was Really Fun: 7"
Tenth in the year-long monthly series, and it sounds like how a hangover feels. The A-side is an acoustic—Fat Mike and a guitar—song about Christians losing faith. Bummer and a so-so song at best. The B-side’s lyrically clever, and about blacking out while continuing to party (and fuck, and get in fights, and getting sharpied). Both songs are pretty stripped down, slower, and subdued. Not my favorite of the series by any stretch.
–Todd Taylor (Fat)
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NOFX:
Leaving Jesusland b/w Benny Got Blowed Up and Teenage Punching Bag b/w One Way T: 7"
These are numbers six and seven of the twelve singles in a year for NOFX. What’s settling in is that NOFX, and in particular Fat Mike, has been able to quietly reinvent the band. They’ve realized their strengths—the music’s instantly NOFX, just more sophisticated and less metal—kept them, but are still growing in a completely different direction from where they started. All without alienating their core fans. For a band that started off with dick and fart jokes and midpointed with bestiality and the joys of vaginal fisting, they’ve evolved into becoming the musical equivalent of Al Franken. Equal parts humor and political commentary. You’d of been a boner to utter the words “astute political and sociological commentary” when listening to S & M Airlines, but now, it’s spot on, especially thinking this is going right into the headphones of kids who have a choice between this and, say, Korn. The other long-ranging theme? Dead friends or friends who make poor life decisions; something almost all of us can relate to.
–Todd Taylor (Fat)
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NOFX:
The Greatest Songs Ever Written (by Us): CD
I don’t think there’s another active punk band that people “in the know” consistently love to hate more than NOFX. They’re seen as little more than a punk gateway band for white suburban youth with backward baseball caps. While far from being as bad as Sum 41 or Good Charlotte, they’re rarely mentioned in the same breath with “true” or DIY punk. First hearing them in 1989, I thought they were barely okay funny metal. If you’d heard RKL’s Keep Laughing and the Meatmen’s, We’re the Meatman and You Suck!, and put them together in your mind, that was much better than NOFX. But, for me, it turned around with White Trash, Two Heebs, and a Bean and the induction of El Hefe into the band. Metal was shed in favor of more pop sensibilities. Punk in Drublic’s an incredibly catchy album, they modulate tempos, and they all became better musicians. Then something like an unexpected nuclear explosion happened. Somewhere around 1992/1993, ten fucking million bands wanted to sound exactly like NOFX. Bros worldwide—to no direct fault of NOFX—descended on the world in a plague of baggy pants and hoodies, with the incessant clinking of chain wallets, and treated us to about five constant years of lethal levels of awful, derivative, mind-numbing melodicore. I’ll admit that, although you can’t control how others are going to take inspiration from you, it was a bit much to take, and I quietly put my NOFX records back on the shelf, only listening to them on occasion. But they weathered the melodicore storm, weathered the ska storm, and are currently weathering the emo boo hoo-athon. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’ve made the long haul. And although I’ve never been one to live and die by them, I find myself plucking one of their CDs out of the stacks, popping it in the player, and enjoying it, time and time again. There’s something they’ve tapped into that I’m grateful for. They’re still snide and funny. They’re easy to listen to. They probably have had the most opportunities to really sell out and turn their backs on punk as a whole when they got more popular, but they keep playing, reinvesting in themselves and their friends, keep churning out new songs, and pissing the right people off. Here’s a collection of twenty-seven songs. One’s new. For some reason, even though I have all the songs on separate albums, I’ve been listening to this quite a bit.
–Todd Taylor (Epitaph)
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NOFX:
They’ve Actually Gotten Worse Live: CD
Second live record from the band, compiled from a batch of shows in their hometown of San Francisco in January 2007. No repeats from their last live record, so we get clever songs against religion (“You’re Wrong”), government (“Murder the Government”), and bad vegetables (“Green Corn”). “I, Melvin” is the tune I’ll be coming back to on this bad boy. If you like the band, you need this just for the onstage banter. NOFX is really obsessed with bras, apparently. If you don’t like Fat Mike, then I don’t think we have anything more to talk about.
–Sean Koepenick (Fat Wreck)
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NOFX:
They’ve Actually Gotten Worse Live: CD
As much as the title and banter implies that NOFX sucks live, the truth is that these guys never sound less than great. The reason behind this, I think, is the fact that Erik Sandin is one of the tightest drummers ever. I think it’s just hard to sound bad with him in your rhythm section. And it’s actually a really good-sounding live recording instead of sounding like the audio was taken off somebody’s overworked cell phone mic. As for the selection of songs, it’s a great mix of old and new songs, with some stuff being changed up for the live album. If you liked the originals, it’s a safe bet you’d like the rearranged versions of the songs. The only problem with the CD is that after the first couple of times, you never really want to listen to the banter again. I think it’s worth getting if only for the fact that they have The Decline on here as a hidden track. That is, after all, NOFX’s greatest, most epic batch of songs.
–Adrian (Fat)
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NOFX:
Your Hubcaps Cost More Than My Car / Now What Herb, California Über Alice: 7”All: 7”
The A-side, “Your Hubcaps,” is murder ballad: simple musically, vocals pulled in front, telling a story from the perspective of a drug dealer intentionally giving an overdose to a rich, respected man with a fancy car and a big house. “Now What Herb” is a light horned and easy listening instrumental that Tijuana Brass lovers could soft shoe to. “California’s” a hardcore blast about California succeeding from the union. It’s the best of the batch. In “All My Friends,” Mike’s voice sounds like a blown-out speaker. Rough. “I, Melvin” is an accordion-heavy ballad about being a burned out, aging punk marionette who also happens to be the guitarist for the band. The song almost sounds like down time in a Pink Floyd record someone forced me to listen to once. 7”s numbers eight and nine are a low point of the year-long series of 7”s.
–Todd Taylor (Fat)
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NOFX:
45 or 46 Songs that Weren’t Good Enough to Go on Our Other Records: 2xCD
It’s so hard to review NOFX because pretty much everyone who reads this zine knows who NOFX is and what they sound like, and pretty much everyone has made up their mind already. I can’t even pull off the old, act-like-you’ve-never-heard-of-them-and-piss-off-the-fans trick because I did that with the Rancid/NOFX split last issue. Anyway, this album is exactly what its title promises. A lot of the songs here are hilarious (“Drugs Are Good”), some are pretty powerful (“We Threw Gasoline…”), some are really good, but too out-of-character for NOFX to include on a normal album (“Lazy”), and some are absolute throwaways (“Timmy the Turtle”). The Germs and Misfits covers are awesome. The Louis Armstrong cover isn’t so good. Disc Two has most of the Surfer and Fuck The Kids seven inches (minus a few songs, so collectors still have something to ebay with). For both of those seven inches, NOFX went into the studio and recorded a bunch of songs that they’d never rehearsed. It sounds exactly like you’d expect it to. All in all, this isn’t that great of an album, but I like NOFX a lot and I’m glad to own this. It’s still in high-rotation around me. The liner notes are pretty funny, too.
–Sean Carswell (Fat)
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NOFX:
45 or 46 Songs That Weren’t Good Enough to Go on Our Other Records: 2xCD
The title is self explanatory. Well, not exactly. Some of these songs were on their other records.
–Donofthedead (Fat)
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NOFX:
War on Errorism: CD
I guess I’m a Johnny-come-lately. I’m jumping on the bandwagon; my opinions have changed and I have become a converted fan. This is the best release I have heard from Fat Mike and Co. Even from their early beginnings, I have by-passed the band. I have skipped shows, not purchased releases and not paid attention. I guess it’s an old guy thing, like old school versus new school. But I’m a big enough person to admit that I can change my mind. Give me a valid argument, I can be swayed. I have been swayed and truly enjoy this release. The political songs are food for thought interspersed in the mix of tracks with their brand of humor. I especially like the reminiscing songs of his early memories of the scene. It brings back memories of times long gone with the old school references he uses to color the songs like “13 Stitches,” “The Separation of Church and Skate,” and “We Got Two Jealous Agains.” The songs, at least to me, are more charged and have a more hardcore sound. The style is the same, but with more venom pushing it in your face. The added CD Rom videos was what initially won me over. I really enjoyed the video for “Franco Un-American.”I guess I should have been paying more attention in the past.
–Donofthedead (Fat)
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NOFX:
Coaster: CD
We’ve all listened to NOFX. You’ve heard one album, you’ve heard them all in terms of format. There’s usually a horn solo track supplied by El Hefe, a political song, and plenty of humor: “I Am An Alcoholic,” “We Call It America,” and “First Call” respectively. They’ve been making music for nearly twenty-six years now and Coaster proves that NOFX still has their humor. In “Creeping out Sara,” Fat Mike sings about his chance meeting with Sara, the reported other lesbian twin, of pop group Tegan and Sara. Needless to say, their conversation includes “threesomes” and “fourgies.” And no, the humor doesn’t stop there, as even the CD title Coaster is a gimmick stab at using their CD as a coaster and the vinyl version they appropriately titled Frisbee. But, on the vinyl the track, “Sara” is substituted for “Tegan” and the lyrics change appropriately. But, hey, they are twins and as the lyrics go, “That’s when I realized it was Sara, or maybe it was Tegan.” If only I could sell my dick and fart jokes to the record store… I guess Fat Mike and company get to have the last laugh once again. –N.L. Dewart
–Guest Contributor (Fat)
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NOFX:
Coaster: CD
Twenty-six years is a long fucking time to still be releasing records, touring, and binging on drugs and alcohol. I will be the first to admit that I wouldn’t be at all be surprised if this wasn’t the last NOFX record. I took the title of “So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes” literally when it came out and was sure they were calling it quits. Now it seems that I’d be surprised if they didn’t release anything new. I use the term “new” loosely because there really isn’t anything new going on here. Fast songs: check. Songs about being loaded: check. Songs with horns: check. If anything, one of the only things that I don’t remember from previous albums is the excessive name dropping of friends’ bands. It gets pretty annoying. Also included are pictures of the band members as kids that leads me to believe that they all had pretty normal, happy childhoods. Man, what happened?
–Juan Espinosa (Fat)
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NOFX:
Regaining Unconsciousness: CDEP
A teaser of sorts, with three tracks from the upcoming album The War on Errorism and an exclusive track. Fat Mike and the gang have come a long way. In their early years here in LA, they were another of a hundred punk bands that played around. Mike (as he was called back then) was just a young punker who attended Beverly Hills High. Somewhere along the line, he moved up to SF. Bad Religion put out the classic album Suffer and a light bulb went on in Mike’s head. The band had a transformation and became what they are now, after endless touring and recording over many years. I may not be a fan of their music, but I do respect them. When punk was dead, they were in the van touring all over. I have a friend in Canada who used to tell me what shows were happening in his area and NOFX seemed to be up there as much as they would come through LA. That is a tough life. Me, I’m a wimp. I hated being in the van, driving up to Bay Area to play a couple of shows. The new tracks will not turn away fans and should continue to recruit new ones. They have perfected their songcraft after all these years. The hidden track with snippets of songs from their new album formatted as a commercial is pretty funny. Hey, a band that can sell over a million copies of a release with no commercial airplay or videos can’t be half bad.
–Donofthedead (Fat)
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NOFX:
Surfer: 7"
Thank fuckin' Christ there's no longer 1,000 bands copping their style. The cloning machine has been dismantled. Yay hoo. Blink 182's taken up the limelight. Perfectly easy to ignore. It's easier to enjoy NOFX now. Fourteen cuts (well, thirteen. "Juice Head" doesn't count - it's them finding the key or tempo or something.). The artwork's a rad dig (or homage) on Bad Religion's "Suffer" - it's got an on-fire surfer standing at the beach. What separates 'em? Even though this 7" feels hurried and tossed off in a weekend, it's fucking funny and not just plainly stupid. That's not true. It's plainly stupid, but it's still really fun. Songs go from anthems pushing insobriety in the workplace ("Go to Work Wasted") to taking 40 oz. beer bongs in the butt ("Party Enema"). Shit. I just like these guys. They were supposed to run out of ideas and become jaded and cynical and start renouncing punk rock back with "Punk in Drublic" and I still pop a record of theirs on every week or so.
–Todd Taylor (Fat)
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NOFX:
Cokie the Clown: CDEP
So, the first NOFX release in the decade I’ve been following them that I did not actively seek out ends up in my review box? Ironic. NOFX lost me when they released Coaster. It was their first album that didn’t have that one song that got stuck in my head like the others. Hell, even their greatest hits album added “Wore out the Soles of My Party Boots” to the NOFX canon. Surprisingly, this EP is good. I will definitely keep this. NOFX has my attention for at least one more album. After that, all bets are off.
–Bryan Static (Fat)
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