Jail Weddings - Meltdown: A Declaration of Unpopular
Emotion LP (Neurotic Yell
Records)
You’re
on a serene train ride at night through the mountains and wilderness of the
west. Now imagine the train
suddenly being robbed by Butch Cassidy and The Hole in The Wall Gang. That’s
what I see when I listen to this album. A mixture of beautiful dark songs
peppered with some dynamite explosions that at times are off in the distance
and move gradually closer and even sometimes explode in your face. It does
sound Nick Cave-y mixed with some Spanish Bolero type undertones which blend
quite well together, adding to the mystique. Why Butch Cassidy? I don’t know I
just love that movie. – Jay Castro
When
singer Gabriel Hart states, “There is a distance,” he is not kidding. The
distance is in the strides Jail Weddings have taken over their previous LP, Love Is Lawless. I am a fan of the Jail
Weddings previous LP, but Meltdown is
a different animal. Jail Weddings, at this point, are just effortlessly mixing
Shangri-La’s, Phil Spector inspired arrangements, call and response guy/girl
vocals with snippets of Ziggy-era Bowie grandeur, Pogues and early
Springsteen’s earnest storytelling to provide a grandiose, operatic, ambitious
and exceptionally done LP. – Ed Stuart
Steve Adamyk
Band – Monterrey 7” (Hosehead Records)
On
Monterrey, Steve Adamyk Band is
sticking to their guns and there will be no complaints from me. When your
musical bullets are consistently hitting the target why bother changing what’s
working. Over the last few years Steve Adamyk Band has been writing and
releasing Ramones/Boys inspired power/punk/pop at an ever-prolific rate. It
seems just a few months ago that Third LP
was just released and now this gem of a 7”. Monterrey
picks up where Third left off.
Punchy, hooky, melodic guitars wound tightly under pop choruses that beg for repeated listening. – Ed
Stuart
Superb
melodic punk and dare I say “poppy” punk. I think this band has so much more to
offer than a lot of other groups that fall into this category though. The hooks
are definitely there, but not in your face. Steve Adamyk Band somehow writes
hooks that are catchy enough to make you come back for more, but you don’t get
sick of the songs after repeat listens. The thing I really like about this
record is the production. Mixed terrifically for this type of music, not over
produced which leaves a lot of punk records sounding like a bucket of sap. The
record sounds tuneful, hard hitting, and raucous all at once. Yummy! -– Jay Castro
Abolitionist – The Growing Disconnect LP (Hahaha cool!/Different Kitchen
Records/1859/Lost Cat/Sex Sheets/Tour Van)
Another
band that at times sounds like it would have fit in perfectly in the Lookout
Records Can of Pork compilation. Hints
of heroes from times gone by like Monsula, Jawbreaker and Fifteen, this record
is far from dismissible though. The thing about punk music, especially scenes
believing in the DIY philosophy like Lookout Records/924 Gilman St Project/MRR,
is that it lights a fire in the soul, it inspires. It makes these younger kids
want to get up and play, not just mimic their heroes. Sure your influences are
going to show, that’s inevitable, but the music of Abolitionist is most
definitely their own. That’s why punk will truly never lie down and die. -– Jay Castro
On
The Growing Disconnect, Abolitionist
leans heavily towards an equal parts Midwest and Bay area musical influences.
Underneath the social and political landscape they cover lyrically beat the
heart of Dillinger Four, Jawbreaker, Avail, Fifteen and punker Lawrence Arms.
There is a mid to late 90’s work ethic in these aforementioned workman style
bands that exudes passion and commitment as if every chord they play is their
last. Growing Disconnect is not just
a throwback to that era, but also a vigilant reminder that deserves to not be
swept aside. – Ed Stuart
The Pelvis
Douglas – The Pelvis Douglas LP –
(Self-Release)
This
is charismatic punk pop from France that runs along the same rails as say The
Rezillos. In fact, every time I listen to this record I like it more and more. France
has sprouted some pretty great punk in its day, if memory and my
Bloodstains/Killed By Death records have served me right, so it’s really no
surprise to me that a record like this can come out of there. For some reason
the band told us that this record was not only recorded in a basement, but a
flooded basement. Soggy galoshes and all, a pretty enjoyable listen! – Jay
Castro
Imagine
Poly Styrene singing for the Toy Dolls and you wouldn’t be too far from
describing this record. Instead of Germfree
Adolescents it’s a Far Out Disc. Toy Dolls were always a fun band to
listen. Their brand of infectious punk/pogo/pop has influenced Pelvis Douglas
on their self-titled self-release. Pelvis Douglas is no mere one-trick pony as
the band adds parts from The Rezillos, The Adverts and early Art Brut to make Pelvis Douglas a fun listen. – Ed Stuart
French Girls – 7”
(Self Released)
On
first listen to the French Girls 7”, I was taken back to the basement rock days
of Rip Off Records, Mummies, Bobbyteens and Supercharger. The production is
spot on from that era and so are the songs. Lo-fi garage that’s sounds like the
band recorded straight to one-track. Punk/garage/rock-n-roll that isn’t pretty,
but still cool much like a dirty white Converse shoe. – Ed Stuart
Quick
sonic blasts of guitar driven garage punk Rock N’ Roll seem to be the modus
operandi on the debut 7” from Tempe, Arizona’s French Girls. I wish I had the
ear to listen past the female voice and not compare this record to other female
fronted garage punk bands. Sadly I don’t, and the first thing that comes to
mind is bands from the Rip Off Records roster like Loli and The Chones, The
Spastics or even The Dirty Sweets.
Not a bad comparison in my opinion, after all it was the soundtrack to
my high school/college years so anything that sounds remotely like this I
gravitate towards. French Girls is
not a piece of nostalgia though, its Rock N’ Roll done up right in any decade.
– Jay Castro
Stitches/Gaggers
– Without You/Gag On This 7” (Rapid Pulse Records/No Front Teeth)
In
the movie A Few Good Men they described
people known as mirrors. For every U.S. Guard standing on the U.S. side of the
border at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base there was a Cuban guard standing opposite
of him on the Cuba side. That’s kind of how I viewed the Gaggers and The
Stitches, as U.S./UK mirrors. So the concept of this record really blew my
mind. Here are two bands that carry the banner high for ‘77 snotty, snobby,
snooty what have you punk. Both bands are in top form here. Could you ask for a
better record? Only if you were asking for more tracks from each band, but
let’s not get greedy, it’s unbecoming of a punk. – Jay Castro
On
a recent Regular Show, there was a
food truck selling a burger called The
Ultameatum. This burger, which was highly desired by Mordecai and Rigby,
was only offered for one day every 100 years. In some ways, this
Stitches/Gaggers 7” reminds me of this because this combo of bands together on
a single was a great idea, but something listeners might not see for a long
time again. I can’t think of a more highly desired current single where the
bands are so evenly matched. I’m sure by the time I finish typing this review
the 7” will be sold out. Both bands play punk in the Pistols/Heartbreakers/’77
tradition and neither disappoint on this single. “Without You” is classic
Stitches and “Gag On This” is a ripper with one hell of a memorable outro
guitar riff. – Ed Stuart
The Junk – Society & The Robot/The Patch 7” (Rapid Pulse Records/No Front Teeth)
Looks
like Rapid Pulse is taking a page straight out of Hostage with this release.
Biggest change for The Junk is that Riky Barners of Pushers/Naughty Monkey is
now handling the vocals and he definitely makes a difference. He had a similar
effect with The Pushers. He just brings The Junk to another level. Remember The
Junk features ex-Smut Peddlers who can already play and know this music inside
and out, but this Junk 7” with Barnes signing is electric. This is Hostage
style punk Rock N’ Roll with no fillers. Well done. – Ed Stuart
Riky
Barnes (of the Pushers fame) now leads this Southern California punk outfit
with personality and vigor to spare, along with some members of Smut Peddlers
who don’t do such a shabby job themselves! It’s a terrific blend of hard
driving, super catchy Southern California punk rock that rages like a comet
jetting into your ear canal. In the song “Society & The Robot,” Junk hurl the sword like William
Wallace signaling the instigation of the anti-tech wars “disconnect from your
mainframe and reattach to your thinking brain” well said Mr. Barnes, well
said! – Jay Castro
Crazy Squeeze – Younger Girl/Terminal Love 7” (Rapid Pulse Records/No Front Teeth)
The
Crazy Squeeze is at it again, throwing out more delicious goodies to the Rock
N’ Roll starved masses like bread loaves from the back of a truck at a
depression era food line. Johnny Witmer and Co. crank out two more classic
Glam/Power Pop/Pub Rock/Rock N’ Roll gems. Including a track off the debut LP,
“Younger Girl,” and a flawless rendition of The Boys “Terminal Love” featuring original Boys guitarist Sir
Honest John Plain himself and a newly updated fallen rockers tribute interlude.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, Crazy Squeeze is one of the best bands
out there right now, and this record only adds evidence to that. – Jay Castro
If
you didn’t listen to Crazy Squeeze’s self-titled LP, you’re doing yourself a
disservice. Crazy Squeeze completely nailed in both songwriting and production
the punk/glam era where Slade, The Boys, New York Dolls and Sweet blurred lines
to create one hell of a good debut LP. This single is no different. “Younger
Girl” was on the LP and sounds as just as good as it does on the LP. The B-side
is the Boys classic “Terminal Love,” which is so faithfully redone that they
even brought in John Plain to help out on guitar. In some circles, Crazy
Squeeze is regarded as a super group and with releases like this I’m tempted to
agree. – Ed Stuart
Neighborhood
Brats - Total Dementia EP (Erste
Theke Tontrager)
Total Dementia was pressed to
coincide with the Brats European tour, but why let the Europeans have all the
fun. Right now, Neighborhood Brats are on fire. Total Dementia might not have Birth
Right’s production power, but it still has The Brats trademark buzzsaw,
shredding guitars, mixed with Angelillo’s Avengers style vocals and kick in the
face rhythm section. Brats could arguably be the heirs apparent to the early
LA/Dangerhouse sound. Just when you think you have Neighborhood Brats figured
out, they throw in a surprise like covering “Lust For Love” and making it sound
like they wrote the song in the first place. Right now this band can do no
wrong and Total Demetia is proof. –
Ed Stuart
This
band has a hand full of 7”’s and an LP out in the world and completely rage
through all of them without any let up in volume or quality. This new EP is no
exception to that. Neighborhood
Brats remind me of a lot of a band from San Francisco called The Loudmouths
that was around in the mid to late 1990’s. They played a brand of blazing fast,
tuneful punk Rock N’ Roll capable of laying waste to any living animal or
vegetation within the blast radius of their amps. Neighborhood Brats is pretty
similar and are also capable of such destruction. Ferocious female vocals,
guitars in your face, and a rollercoaster thrill ride of a record. – Jay Castro
Dead Uncles – Stock Characters LP (86’d
Records/Different Kitchen Records/Hip Kid Records/Lost Cat
Records/Sad Punk Records/Shitty Present Records/Trends Die Records/You Look
Like Shit Records)
Stock Characters reminds of equal parts mid-80’s DC era
and early to mid-90’s Bay Area style bands; more specifically bands like Gray
Matter, J Church, and Crimpshrime. Dead Uncles is full of muted guitars that
can explode at any second couple with rapid fire chord progression changes
would have fit right into the early Lookout Records roster. Back in those days
the aforementioned bands really kept their pop and punk separated without
combining them into pop-punk. Stock
Characters is the first and last LP for Dead Uncles. This LP is a well-done
testament to a band that is no longer around. – Ed Stuart
More 1990’s Bay
area influenced blasts from this New Haven, CT band. They would have rounded
out the bill well at a 924 Gilman Street show back in the day with bands like
Monsula, Pinhead Gunpowder and Crimpshrine. This is some fun, fast, and catchy
punk rock with growling vocals. There aren’t a lot of clunkers in here, the
album keeps its quality pace pretty much from beginning to end and isn’t front
or rear loaded. In fact my favorite track Playing
Around lays pretty much smack dab in the middle. – Jay Castro
Doug Mason – Boogazi/Sonic Juice 7” (Noyes Records)
All I know about
Doug Mason is that he has half a dozen fantastic LP’s out and he is from the
east coast. He plays hook filled, mid tempo, indie pop similar to Sebadoh, Pavement
and early Flaming Lips. The songs display the heart on the sleeve, thinly
masked by irony and sarcasm, a lyrical trademark of the above bands. These two
songs brought to you here by Noyes Records are alright. Neither really shines
out though. They are a good starting point, but to find some real gems pick up
Doug’s last couple excellent LP’s Naked
Wine and Gravy Nights. – Jay
Castro
This is the
latest release from Dartmouth legend Doug Mason who since 2006 has released six
LP’s. This 2 songer opens with a semi-ode to Fugazi called “Boogazi.” The song
features such lines as “Their name is Boogazi and they don’t like money,” which
seems to be a jab about Fugazi’s strict $5 ticket price policy. Mason
definitely has an alternative feel reminiscent of early Guided By Voices and
Sebadoh with a lazy hook riff that is catchy on “Boogazi.” On the other side,
“Sonic Juice” is a Cars/Devo rocker with crunchy guitars. – Ed Stuart
Josh Berwanger – Strange Stains LP (Good Land Records)
Don’t call this
LP a comeback or maybe you should. Berwanger, who most notably was in The
Anniversary, had dropped out of the music scene for quite a few years only to
come back stronger than ever. First, if you’re hoping this would be another
Anniversary record, you would be way off course. Instead, Berwanger mixes ‘60’s
pop, T. Rex, Bowie, folk, and Flamin Groovies effortlessly to make Strange Stains an excellent debut solo
LP. – Ed Stuart
These are some
pretty catchy songs of irreverent folksy material from the former Anniversary
front man. It’s got the intimacy of a singer/songwriter release and also
reminds me of All Shook Down era
Replacements stuff, which in my opinion is a criminally overlooked record in
their catalog. One thing that really struck me when reading Josh’s bio is his
tenacity and commitment to being a musician. His former band The Anniversary
ended in a nuclear mushroom cloud of a break up and he even got a “regular” job
for a while, but the dude didn’t give up. This says a lot about his spirit and love
for music. This mood translates into this collection of well-crafted songs that
seem to come from deep within the soul. – Jay Castro
Ketamines – So Hot! 7” (Hosehead Records)
This is one
peculiar, sloppy and cynical ride with Toronto’s own Ketamines. Slow to mid
tempo shots of psyche/bubblegum hybrid songs that never take it to a serious
level. According to their bio,
they love Kim Fowley and there is plenty of that Sunset Boulevard avant-pop packed in here. You can tell their lack
of sincerity just by looking at the cover of this EP! Not that that’s a bad
thing by any means, the world already has too many pompous world crusading
musicians. No soul saving of starving African children for the Ketamines. All
they can offer is their hand in welcoming you onto their bizarro fun bus ride,
and it’s hard not to accept that invitation. – Jay Castro
So Hot is number three in four part 7-inch series from the Ketamines
that involves four different labels releasing each seperately. Ketamines have
several styles on this 7”, which range from garage, to Los Microwaves synth
pop, to sparse power-pop Pink Flag
Wire. My favorite track off this single is “Summer Mothers,” which is the Wire
influenced pop song. – Ed Stuart
LA Drugz – Outside Place 12” EP (Hovercraft Records)
Outside
Place is one hell of debut from LA Drugz. Mixing Teenage Head
and LA power-pop like Plimsouls and The Beat, LA Drugz have quite a standout 6-song
EP. “Marina” is a power pop gem that could have fought for a place on any
Powerpearls compilation while the title track and “Ooh Ooh Ooh” have the pogo
energy of a Teenage Head song. Highly recommended. – Ed Stuart
The punchy,
power pop/glam hits just keep on rolling out of this part of the country with
no end in sight and L.A. Drugz keeps the barrel of fun rolling on. The first
song and the title track kicks the saloon bar doors wide open with unrestrained
pogo energy that doesn’t let up. This is for fans of early Damned and Vibrators
records. If you have any sense at all you count yourself among those
ranks. Goes well with The Crazy
Squeeze! – Jay Castro
Maniac – Dim Sum/Pepe 7” (La-Ti-Da
Records)
Described by La
Ti Da records as “gentleman punks” and looking like a bunch of Mafioso contract
killers in some of their promo pictures, I will go ahead and agree. Maniac is a virtual super group
of Los Angeles punk bands consisting of current and past members of bands like
Cute Lepers, Images, Clorox Girls, Rough Kids and more. The music is
reminiscent of The Undertones or something that could have been on Belfast’s
Good Vibrations records in the late 70’s. There’s riffs-o-plenty, it’s well
poised, and the energy is barely contained and bubbling over the sides like
early Who records. I eagerly anticipate more! – Jay Castro
This band has
quite a musical heritage. Members have been in such bands as The Girls,
Clorox Girls, The Cute Lepers, Red Dons, and LA Drugz. Maniac reminds the most
of the early Vibrators/Undertones/’77 UK punk that is both irreverent and
instantly catchy. Maniac has set the bar pretty high with this 2-song debut.
Now all we can do is wait to see what these gentlemen punks do next. – Ed Stuart
The Thirteen – LIFT-OFF! LP (Self-release)
This LP was
released as a self-release, but finally made its way to Audio
Ammunition for review just recently. Pretty solid mid-era Replacements/Husker
Du style power pop Rock n’ Roll from this Philly trio. Stephen Egerton,
Descendents guitar player, produced LIFT-OFF!,
and as with Descendents he has placed the hooks out front to listen. Hopefully
for this trio, it won’t be another five years between releases. – Ed Stuart
Loud mid-tempo
Rock N’ Roll offerings from the Philly band’s second LP; following 2007’s The Secret History of the Thirteen. This
album sounds rawer as compared to their debut, a good fitting production style
considering the direction the band wants to go in, which according to their bio
is power pop Rock N’ Roll. This came out last year, but barely found itself at
the doorstep of Audio Ammunition Command Center. The Thirteen kind of remind me
of The Joneses, only with a bit less of Jeff Drake’s charisma and drunken
merriment. Fun, catchy bar room Rock N’ Roll that would probably sound great
live. – Jay Castro
Utter Failure – Eroding Forces LP (86’d Records/Lost Cat Records/HaHaHa Cool
Records/Say-10 Records/Shit Starter Records/Smart Ass Records/Vinehell Records)
The brothers
that brought you Krupted Peasant Farmers are back with there new band Utter
Failure. Eroding Forces is the follow
up LP to last year’s Utter Failure EP,
7”. By definition, Utter Failure is nuts and bolts melodic punk/hardcore. Eroding Forces is full of tough guitars,
raspy voices and raw production to make this LP full of punch and bite. This LP
showcases the band’s tough exterior, but ever so often reveals it’s melodic
side with catchy hook riffs and 7-Seconds “Ooh-Ooh” style choruses. – Ed Stuart
More Lookout
Records inspired music from former Krupted Peasant Farmers! This San Jose band sounds like a more
serious Love Songs for the Retarded era
Queers. Instead of singing about
“Granola Heads” and “Noodle Brains,” Utter Failure throws in some more
political and socially conscious lyrics. The music is fun and fast paced, the
recording is a bit raw so these messages don’t seem thrown in your face, which
is definitely a good thing! – Jay Castro
Guida – Let’s Do It Again LP (Damaged
Goods)
Those feisty
Italians are stirring it up once more, with great results! Their first album,
2010’s Racey Roller was crammed full
of Gary Glitter worship. This time around the band seems to have expanded their
sound on some of the songs, ever so slightly I might add, to include other glam
influences like a dollop of New York Dolls and Hollywood Brats flavored Rock N’
Roll to spice up the pot. Hooks and enjoyment run wild and plentiful. – Jay Castro
Yes, it’s
finally here after three years! Let’s Do
It Again is the follow-up to the much-heralded Racey Roller. If you haven’t been existing in the punk orbit the
last few years, Racey Roller was all
the rage by both fans and press and as a result, re-issued numerous times. So
the ex-Taxi boys are back with more of their Slade/Sweet/early
Cocksparrer/Bovver Rock influenced tunes. In some ways, this is more of what Racey Roller made so damn good. No
frills, insanely catchy sing-along anthems that is somehow instantly memorable.
This time around on Let’s Do It Again,
Guida has the complete feel and sound of the UK glam era. Where Racey Roller still had punk traces, Let’s Do It Again is comfortable in it’s
own boots or should I say roller skates. – Ed Stuart
Happy Noose – Amagosa EP (Dead End Social Club Records)
At first listen, I was briefly
reminded of Christian Death’s Only
Theater of Pain, due to the melancholy of the vocals and dark guitar tones,
but that gave way to a more Joy Division/Bauhaus/Echo and The Bunnymen early
goth influence with nods to My Bloody Valentine/Swervedriver 90’s indie drone
pop. On Amogosa, Happy Noose is
writing songs that are equal mix of the previous mentioned bands without ever
straying to far from its roots. –
Ed Stuart
Wow, what we got
here is a dark Rock N’ Roll record similar to Christian Death’s Only Theater of Pain. The record is definitely
rocking, but doesn’t quite cross the punk rock threshold. Don’t get me wrong;
this is totally fine. There are a few bands around now taking queues from early
goth bands: TV Ghost and A Place To Bury Strangers come immediately to mind. The
problem that a lot of “goth” bands have is that their front men become so
pompous and vain they take the rest of the band down megalomania hell, see Andrew
Eldrtich and Peter Murphy, so these great bands have a couple good releases and
a parade of crapola afterwards. This is a great record, here’s hoping everyone
in Happy Noose keeps their heads on straight! – Jay Castro
Benny The Jet Rodriguez – Home Run LP (Recess Records)
San Pedro’s BTJR
cranks out a highly infectious brand of catchy, punk-y, doo wop-y influenced
lo-fi Rock N’ Roll similar to Brentwoods or the Donnas; when Darin Raffaelli
had them Donnas under his Kim Fowley-esque hypnotic control. So that’s to say
when The Donnas were actually worth listening to. Benny The Jet Rodriguez has
more sweetness and melancholy than both of the above-mentioned bands though. If
anyone remembers Kamala and The Karnivores, add a pinch of that band in there
and you got yourself a closer match. Great record! – Jay Castro
Highly catchy
garage pop with girl vocals that seems like it would be more at home on Burger
than Recess. San Pedro though, like Long Beach, is a big city that acts in some
ways like a small town where everyone is connected and after catching the ear
of Todd C. (Toys That Kill) at a show, he decided to supply keyboards for this
LP. Home-Run is poppy without gunning
for that ‘60’s girl pop sound. Think early, pre-Lookout Records, Donnas than
Peach Kelli Pop. – Ed Stuart
Subsets – Ape Facin’ EP (Granado Records)
Ape Facin’ is straight ahead no frills punk rock
just like how the Pagans and The Germs used to do it. Head-bopping, pogo punk
from these Cincinnati guys. Subsets are not into wasting time; they just get
right to the point. Pagans/Killed by Death/The Germs style songwriting propels
this Ape Facin’ through four songs in
less than 10 minutes. The main riff of “Make You (Do It Again)” sounds like the
counterpart to the Germs “We Must Bleed.” This EP is both an homage to that era
while making it all new again. – Ed Stuart
This is some
solid hard hitting gruff/tuff street punk similar to some of those old GMM or
Pogo Stick New Jersey bands that were making a fuss up there a while ago. The
songs come at you hard right out the door with thick guitars and catchy hooks
among the punk chaos being hurled at your face. Makes me want to throw a pack
patch onto my jacket and break out my old Bristles and Wretched Ones records! A
good quality street punk record, hope there’s more to come! – Jay Castro
The Socials – The Beast Bites 7” (Centsless Records)
4-song EP of
some pretty tasty late 70’s California inspired punk music rocketing out of
Cincinnati, OH. When I heard this I immediately thought of Avengers, The Bags,
VKTMS type bands. This fits right there nestled in all that good company, no
exaggeration here folks. Vocalist/guitarist Julie Social does double duty
laying on the thick, catchy riffs next to her non high pitched wailing yet
burning vocal style which makes for some pretty anthemic punk music. – Jay Castro
From what I have
read, this band is a Cincinnati legend. They have existed in various forms for
over 19 years, but have never had a proper release until now. The Beast Bites is full of early SF
influence where bands like the Nuns, and the Avengers were mainstays of the
scene. Julie Social’s vocals remind me of both the Avengers and VKTMS, but that
is not solely where the band’s sound lies. Yes, The Socials have one foot in
early SF sound, but on songs like “The Future Has Let Me Down” they are content
to venture into art-rock territory with full abandon. In a lot of ways, The Beast Bites seems like a lost
release from ’77-79 and not a debut release from today. – Ed Stuart
Radioactivity – Radioactivity LP (Dirtnap Records)
Amazing! I
really could just leave this review with just that one word, amazing. To quote
the bio, Radioactivity is an “all-star lineup of Texas punk and garage rock
royalty, including members of The Marked Men, Mind Spiders, Bad Sports, Wax
Museums, The Reds, VIDEO, and The Novice.” Radioactivity takes Ramones
influence and ups the tempos just a notch with losing the bubblegum pop quality
and then peppers Buzzcocks/Rezillos/power pop hooks all over the top. All the
hype surrounding this release is definitely worth it, Radioactivity might be the heir apparent to the Raydios LP that
came out years ago. Amazing! Yes, amazing indeed! – Ed Stuart
The hype
surrounding this LP has been out of control. In a rare instance this record
actually does deliver. It’s quick in tempo and highly melodic. The thing that
threw me a bit is its air of cheerfulness, no doom and gloom found here. This
is quite welcome; don’t get me wrong. The band is another songwriting vehicle
for Jeff Burke of Marked Men/The Reds fame. The history of this band is a bit
convoluted. Apparently Jeff, who once resided in Denton TX, moved to Japan and
formed a band called The Novice. He then moved back to the states and
Radioactivity is a continuation of his work with that band. If you are familiar
with Dirtnap Records or Denton TX, you know the sound: Think The Ramones Rocket to Russia fused with your
favorite Devo record. This is one of my favorite releases of the year. – Jay Castro
Mind Spiders – Inhumanistic (Dirtnap Records)
Mark Ryan
(Marked Men, High Tension Wires) releases yet another Mind Spiders record, the
third in three years! It’s a bit more “Mr. Robot-o” than the previous
records. The synth and drum
machines are laid on a bit more thick than the ‘Spiders previous record Meltdown. It ranges from Screamers/Ivy
Green ferocity all the way to something reminiscent of Human League or Gary
Numan atmospherics. I am torn with the idea that a good band has to evolve and
grow to stay relevant otherwise they become a watered down parody of
themselves; I’m winking at you Bad Religion. However the Mind Spiders don’t tread
any new musical territory here. Just goes to show that so long as you stay
inspired, the music will continue to have fire behind it. Another winner for
team Dirtnap. – Jay Castro
Mark Ryan is a
very busy man. Between Marked Men, Radioactivity and Mind Spiders I’m not how
sure he has the time to write all of these songs, but quality songs on top of
that. Inhumanistic might be Mind
Spiders most straight-ahead record of the three LP’s that the band has
released. This time around Mind Spiders go for a quicker Devo sound that has
both Ramones and garage influence, but Inhumanistic
is not a one-trick pony. Ryan has shown he has more tricks up his sleeves with
songs like “City Stuff” by adding effects to his voice; slower tempos and the
use of drum machines. Very catchy LP! – Ed Stuart
Crusades – Perhaps You Deliver this Judgment with Greater Fear than I Received It LP
(No Idea Records)
Lyrically this
concept LP “is a meditation on the life of philosopher, heretic
and antichristian martyr Giordano Bruno.”
Now, I’m not sure if this LP will change your religious beliefs or not. On the
other hand, musically, Crusades is a band that would appeal to both punk and
metal fans much like Turbonegro, Off With Their Heads, Rise Against and newer
Fucked Up does, but with some more metal influences than the previously
mentioned bands. – Ed Stuart
A Wilhelm Scream – Partycrasher LP (No Idea
Records)
Within a few
seconds of listening to Partycrasher,
I had a flashback to the days of when Fat Wreck Chords was consistently putting
out releases by Strung Out, Propagandhi, Lagwagon. A Wilhelm Scream is a
melodic punk/hardcore/metal band that actually started when the Strung Out Fat
era was in its heyday. If you don’t think this style of punk plays well, there
is a legion of kids that will vehemently disagree with you. For fans of Strike
Anywhere, Pennywise and Strung Out this Partycrasher
is for you. – Ed Stuart
This Massachusetts band has been around for quite a while; I
remember hearing their name many times before. This has the trademark sound of
what Fat Wreck Chords and Epitaph built their empires on: Pennywise, Strung
Out, Lag Wagon with some Face To Face sensitivity/philosophy thrown in. This is
some really fast paced rock punk played by folks that sound like they can actually
play their instruments! This band sounds like it would fit right in with the
Vans Warped Tour type crowd. – Jay Castro
Midnight Reruns – Midnight Reruns LP (Good
Land Records)
WOW, this is a fantastic good time rockin’ record blasting
out of Milwaukee, WI! It sounds like it would have fit right in there with the
Twin Tone records family in the early to mid 1980’s. The music rolls around in
the glory of all those great Midwest bands from that era like Soul Asylum,
Replacements, and Husker Du. This is not however some cheap, standing on the
shoulders of giants rip off band though. These guys play their guts out and
it’s obvious their hearts are in exactly the right place, which makes listening
to this record all the more blissful. The record has sweat, heart and hooks
that fizz up uncontrollably like a fine frosty beverage poured into a glass too
quickly. It takes more than one listed to try and slurp in all up before in
hits the table. Highly recommended! - Jay Castro
Midnight Reruns does have musical odes to mid-era
Replacements and Hold Steady, but more so to Weezer’s first LP and early
Superchunk than others. Midnight Reruns
is full of guitar pop that would fit in the mid-90’s Merge Records catalog as
it does now. Midnight Reruns have been described as “aggressive slack” which I
can see in the songwriting that simultaneously seems sloppy and tuneful without
regard for throwing curveballs in the songs like Tonic For The Troops-era Boomtown Rats used to. – Ed Stuart
