 |
|
|
|
|
| Can't find Razorcake at your favorite store? Lend us a hand and we'll send you a free issue. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 | Razorcake will send you one free issue if you ask your librarian if they would carry Razorcake in their stacks. (This offer is good for both traditional libraries and independent libraries.) To get the free issue, you must send us the librarian's name and email and the library's postal address. We will then contact them directly and donate a subscription to them. U.S. libraries only, due to postage. | |
|
|
|
|
|
| | 
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 | 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
RIOT BEFORE, THE:
Fists Buried in Pockets: CD
I like that, lyrically, they have more substance than one would expect just going by the music they’re peddling, which is middling at best, watered down modern punk that would get them on a Warped bill but wouldn’t distinguish them from any of the thousands of other bands that sound just like them.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.say-10.com)
| |
|
RIOT SQUAD:
No Potential Threat: CD
Riot Squad were one of the lesser known “UK82” bands, lasting only the first half of the 1980s. In those few years, however, they managed to release a number of seven-inchers and one posthumous LP, No Potential Threat, of which this is a reissue, complete with numerous tracks from the aforementioned singles seven-inchers and a couple of demo cuts. Musically they come off as a mélange of Discharge, Blitz and, especially “Troops of Tomorrow” era Exploited, thanks on no small part to their singer sounding like a helluva lot like Wattie. Brusque, primal and political, these guys may not have been brimming with technical prowess (then again, how many of the truly great hardcore bands really were?), but they got their point across quite well. Good stuff.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Captain Oi)
| |
|
RIOT/CLONE:
Success: CD
Dunno who’s doin’ the pickin’ over at Dr. Strange, but they’ve got one hell of a batting average going. For those not in the know, Riot/Clone is one of the early U.K. bands associated with the anarcho-punk scene that spawned Crass, Discharge, Flux of Pink Indians, Conflict, and tons of others. They’ve released a number of singles and albums over nearly three decades and this latest is a doozy. Losing none of the anger, passion, and “punk” of their early years, they dish up seventeen tracks (one more listed, “The Wit & Wisdom of George W. Bush,” consists of a long bit of silence) of fierce, uncompromising, and catchy punk rock devoid of both the clichéd conventions too many modern “peace punk” bands rely upon and the stodgy lack of enthusiasm that plagues a number of their reformed peers. The music is strong, the lyrics topical, and the delivery vital, making this one of the most consistently good releases of the year.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Dr. Strange)
| |
|
RIOT/CLONE:
Success: CD
If I hadn’t plowed through the fat lyric booklet that came with this thing, I’d swear I was listening to something that could’ve come out on Bluurg, Crass, or Spiderleg twenty-five years ago. And that’s not a bad thing at all. Think anthemic, snotty British punk that could’ve wound up on any a Punk and Disorderly comp with nary a furrowed brow. After listening to this thing quite a few times and reading what they have to say, I found myself liking this band more and more. The lyrics are smart and topical and do a great job of toeing the line between sincerity, sarcasm, and self-effacement. All the songs include explanations, and the band comes across as just being humble, genuine guys. And if some of the songs have a tendency to extend themselves a bit too long, it’s fine; they’re keeping it punk and shit, and refusing to grapple with gross-ass metal-fusion wankery that many long-time bands have a tendency to start meddling with. They’ve been together since 1980 and Success is their swan song—the band’s calling it a day. It’s a pretty goddamn rad epitaph—music that wholeheartedly embraces their roots, their foundation, while lyrically keeping things current without skimping on any of the anger or content. Nice job all around.
–Keith Rosson (Dr. Strange)
| |
|
RIOT99:
Last Train to Nowhere: CD
I’m always curious: when a singer sings with an English accent, is he actually English? This band hails from Toronto, Canada and plays the rough and tumble blast of street punk. They play to the formula of the early UK oi and punk scene to perfection. On track four, "What Are They Fighting For?", the singer sounds like a dead-on Degsy from Oi Polloi. Good musicianship and good songs makes for a good listen.
–Donofthedead (Longshot)
| |
|
RIOTGUN/ BULLET TREATMENT:
Split: CD
Tribute release from these two So Cal punk bands. Riotgun do Motorhead and Bullet Treatment do the Ramones. Woohoo.
–Donofthedead (Basement)
| |
|
RIOTGUN/ BULLET TREATMENT:
Split: CD
Tribute release from these two So Cal punk bands. Riotgun do Motorhead and Bullet Treatment do the Ramones. Woohoo.
–Donofthedead (Basement)
| |
|
RIP OFFS:
Got a Record: CD
The Rip Offs were one of those bands that I’d been hearing
about for a long time, but had never heard. Their records and seven inches were
all out of print and pretty hard to find, but finally, earlier this year, Jimmy
Alvarado made me a tape of all of the Rip Offs stuff. The first time I listened
to them, I knew I’d been missing out for all these years. The Rip Offs have a
really raw sound, kind of like Teengenerate or the Motards. Songs that would be
straight ahead rock’n’roll if they weren’t so fucked up and crazy. I listened
to the tape a bunch of times, thinking about how cool it would be if someone
reissued these songs. Well, I guess former Rip Offs bassist Greg Lowery read
that thought bubble of mine because he reissued Got a Record (the only Rip Offs full length). The songs still
sound like they were recorded in someone’s garage or practice space (which,
according to the liner notes, they pretty much were), but the songs are still
great. If you aren’t one of the lucky few who picked up this album when it
first came out, here’s your chance. I highly recommend it.
–Sean Carswell (Rip Off)
| |
|
RIPCORDZ:
Are Go!: CD
Mistook this band for the legendary hardcore band Ripcord, so imagine my surprise when I plopped it on and some vaguely poppy punk rock came outta the speakers. They ain't all that bad at what they do, and they have supposedly garnered some modicum of popularity over the long stretch of time they've been in existence, but frankly, I've definitely heard much better from others strip-mining the same plot of land.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.unionlabelgroup.com)
| |
|
RIPCORDZ:
100,000 Watts of Power: CD
With twenty-five years under their belts, Montreal’s Ripcordz continue to pump out classic singalong punk albums with a quality and ease that is almost unnerving. The funny thing is that they remain more or less unknown outside of Canada, and I’m pretty sure they’re fine with that. 100,000 Watts of Power is an amazing record. Not only do they continue to play what they’ve always done best, but they’ve added some layers that I’ve never noticed before. This time around, the first thing I thought of was Leatherface. It shouldn’t be a far stretch, since Paul’s gravely voice is quite similar to that of Frankie Stubbs, but I never made the connection until now. It’s so damn good. Fans of stuff out there on labels like Hellcat and Sailor’s Grave should take note and search these guys out.
–Ty Stranglehold (Mayday, www.unionlabelgroup.com)
| |
|
RIPCORDZ:
Are Go!: CD
Mistook this band for the legendary hardcore band Ripcord, so imagine my surprise when I plopped it on and some vaguely poppy punk rock came outta the speakers. They ain’t all that bad at what they do, and they have supposedly garnered some modicum of popularity over the long stretch of time they’ve been in existence, but frankly, I’ve definitely heard much better from others strip-mining the same plot of land.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.unionlabelgroup.com)
| |
|
RIPCORDZ:
What if They Held a Revolution and Nobody Came?: CD
These guys are punk as fuck and play fifteen tracks of good punk rock. The songs go from fast to slow to mid-paced, and you’ve got your singalongs in here, too. It’s all good stuff. They hail from Montreal, Quebec and have been around for over ten years. The lyrics cover a wide variety of topics. This is a solid release and I must also say the packaging is good. From all the pictures in this CD, the crowd at their shows looks like they are having one hell of a time. Get this CD and you will too.
–Guest Contributor (Mayday Records)
| |
|
RIPE, THE:
Into Your Ears: CD
It’d be easy to just write these kids off for wearing their influences on their sleeves—things start off on a sixties fuzz vibe, then stretch out to include some unabashed Love worship, appropriated snatches of Abba choruses and whispers of Undertones anthems, bits of Beatles ‘n’ Monkees, power pop, Creedence riffing and spaghetti-western tinged indie rock mix-n-matched in gleeful abandon—but the resulting tunes somehow work so well on their own terms that they manage to make all the wanton plundering irrelevant. The vibe is fairly laid back throughout. They sound like they buy wholly into what they’re doing, and they do it all quite well.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Get Hip)
| |
|
RIPFACE INVASION:
To Not Give In: CD
Now that we’re on what I suspect to be the tail end of the recent thrash resurgence, the bands that are still in it are starting to explore some of the nuances of the genre, rather than just rehashing Bonded By Blood. On this short CD, Ripface Invasion fulfills the promise of their band name by slashing their way through the more muscle-bound side of crossover, spewing vitriol from the very start with “The Dominator.” It’s familiar, but not too familiar.
–MP Johnson (ripfaceinvasion.com)
| |
|
RIPPER:
Death Rider: 7” single
I’ve been hearing about these guys for sometime now. Saw a tape of theirs a few weeks back at a local show and was urged to buy it, but I lagged and was scooped by someone more savvy. But, I did pounce on this record when I was going through the review bins at the Razorcake bunker. Ripper definitely look to Motörhead for musical guidance, but, at the same time, they are not a “by the numbers” clone band. They have slightly less low end in their sound and also throw in other influences from the straight-up rock and roll realm to punk. I know; you’re thinking, “Well, that’s Motörhead too.” Yeah, but these guys are a bit different. Kind of hard to explain, and maybe my mind has turned to complete mush lately. I like the opening of “Never Enough” with the bass and drums coming in right behind it. The tempo is moderate and urgent—also like the bridge towards the end—as it gives the song extra depth. The A side is the scorcher, and better lyrically as well. How can you not like a song about the Death Rider? Pretty good single.
–Matt Average (Blackwater, blackwaterpdx.com)
| |
|
RIPPERS:
Fire Tractaät: CD
Honestly dunno if I’m inadvertently chronicling the efforts of a number of different “Ripper” bands, but from what I can tell, this is the Spanish band, a single from whom I reviewed waaaaaaaay back in the Flipside days. Their sound is markedly different than the “77 punk” sound they were strip mining back then, with a much darker, heavier rock vibe going here. Can’t say I dig it all that much, but I did enjoy the instrumental, “Under Frozen Moon.”
–Jimmy Alvarado (BCore Disc)
| |
|
RIPPERS / QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE:
Split: 7" 45
My first thoughts when picking up this record were “wow, Sub Pop still puts out records?” After quick inspection, my second thoughts were “wow, people still make bootleg 45s that look like Sub Pop records?” Oh well, no accountin’ for what those wacky kids will do. The Rippers are a band whom i have already clearly established i don’t like ((although, to their credit, they are loud)); Queens of the Stone Age are a band that this guy i used to work with who told me KISS sucked liked, and this is them playing a Black Sabbath cover on VH1. Needless to say, everybody connected with this record can go get fucked. BEST SONG: “Paranoid” BEST SONG TITLE: “Paranoid” FANTASTIC AMAZING TRIVIA FACT: Quote: “recorded at the VH1 2007’s Rock Honors ceremony, on witch (sic) the band paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne.” I want black coffee!
–Rev. Norb (fake Sub Pop)
| |
|
RIPPERS, THE:
Invertebrät: CD
Were one to ogle the front cover, one might think that the red hand-snipped (hand-polygoned?) letters of the band name and the f'ed-up-typewriter lettering of the album title and the kinda Butthole Surfers-album-cover critter thereupon portended a good time for the listener (and that's not even factoring in the umlaut). This would be incorrect. This is metal-punk and thus without value. Good day. BEST SONG: Jeez, it's a real toss-up between "God Is Mortal" and "Don't Fear the End" BEST SONG TITLE: I can't bear to leave any out, they're all so wonderful. FANTASTIC AMAZING TRIVIA FACT: Before the first band i was ever in played out, i wanted us to call ourselves "The Rippers." Hope these guys are all fifteen, too.
–Rev. Norb (H)
| |
|
RIPPERS, THE:
Nomelêc’s Revenge!: CD
This is heavy in a good way. Somehow it takes me back to a time in the mid ‘90s where reckless drinking and insanity was the order of the day (nowadays the drunkenness is still regular, but way more controlled). I’m thinking of Quicksand and Zeke in Spain together to run with the bulls. I like this.
–Ty Stranglehold (Rock On)
| |
|
RIPPERS, THE:
Raw Evil: 7"
You know that unmistakable sound of a Marshall JCM 800? That really hot, electric-sounding hum that feels like riding a big bike with big tires down a hill really fast? The Rippers know that sound and embrace the hell out of it. They remind me a lot of Ass Cobra-era Turbonegro, but that just might be the European accents (the Rippers are from Italy or Spain or something). This record’s DIY as hell, too: hand-stamped covers with an actual physical photo of the band duct taped to the back. Awesome!
–ben (Ripper)
| |
|
RIPPERS, THE:
No Mört: CD
A Spanish band here serving
up some rippin’ (pun intended) punk rock, all raw and leaning toward the
hardcore side of the fence without tumbling over into that camp. The
unnecessary cover of “I Wanna Be Your Dog” notwithstanding, these guys make a
mean racket. Recommended.
–Jimmy Alvarado (H)
| |
|
RIPPERS, THE:
Pudör Cronica: 7"
Side one is a raucous rock anthem and side two is a rippin’ version of “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” both of which are sung in what sounds like Portuguese, but might be a Spanish dialect I don’t recognize. If you’re smart enough to already own their No Mört CD, this compliments it nicely.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Ripper)
| |
|
RIPPERS, THE:
Why Should I Care About You?: CD
Dunno if this is the same band I reviewed for Flipside way back when, but if it is, it seems they’ve given up seeking stardom in the ‘77 punk camp and have instead opted to go for something that occasionally sounds like a punked-up early Yardbirds. An admittedly weak description, I know, and one based on the lack of fuzz in the guitars, but that’s what comes to mind, and it’s not exactly a bad thing.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Slovenly)
| |
|
RIPPERS, THE:
Seeds of the New Dawn: CD
There is a band called “The Rippers” that i like; they do that song “I Wanna Put You Out Of My Head.” This is not them. This sounds kinda like the Jesus Lizard with a Spanish version of Dez Cadena in lieu of David Yow. Maybe that means their next record is gonna be a “Louie Louie” 45 on PoshBoy. One can only hope. BEST SONG: “Under Siege” BEST SONG TITLE: “Among the Spiders” FANTASTIC AMAZING TRIVIA FACT: Band describes their sound as “Rock / Punk / Zouk” on their MySpace profile. I definitely taste the Zouk.
–Rev. Norb (Rock On)
| |
|
RIPPERS, THE:
Better the Devil You Know: CD
Decent early 1960s-influenced punky sort of stuff here. Kind of like a cranked up Rolling Stones before the drugs took hold. The tempos are fast and borderline reckless. They even throw in a harmonica and it sounds pretty good. Not many bands past 1975 can do it convincingly. “The Prey Is In” is a complete scorcher. They pace the record with some mid-tempo burners to keep you from burning you out—though there are times where it kind of bogs down a bit too much, such as “Just for Ten Dollars” (which sounds very Rolling Stones) being followed by “Here Comes the Lunatic.”
–Matt Average (Slovenly)
| |
|
1 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 | 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 > | |
|
|
|
|
| If you live in the Los Angeles area and want to help us out, let us know. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Get monthly notifications of new arrivals and distro and special offers for being part of the Razorcake army. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
