More Record Reviews: Now Even Beefier!

After a while of hiding in my remote arctic cave and letting poor Audio Ed do the heavy lifting around here, I'm back to earn my keep at the Audio Ammunition Underwater Stronghold.  Hopefully Ed won't make me pay for my insubordinate behavior by cleaning the latrine with a toothbrush again.  Stay tight though, we'll be back very soon with more delectables! - J Castro

ANMLS – S/T LP (Slovenly Recordings/Algo)

These guys are from Santiago, Chile and they throw down a hard, fast and mean style of punk rock.  The kind where you can actually feel the power radiating from the speakers and hitting your gut. Listening to this record gives you the same kind of feeling you get when watching a street brawl and one of the guys picks up a broken bottle.  The songs are sung entirely in Spanish and the production is slightly distorted but it gives the record an edge.  If you’re looking for adrenaline inducing punk but are getting tired of your old Negative Approach and Cro Mags records, then seek out ANMLS. 
 - JC

Anxieties – Buried Alive CD (Lab Rat Industries)

This band had been around for ten plus years cranking out the perfect blend of The Damned, The Dickies and the Dead Kennedys style of punk rock. Yes, they’re that good.  They also radiate a similar vibe to fellow Pacific North Westerners the Briefs. Their newest release Buried Alive is actually 4 new tracks with a whole grip of remastered older tracks from previous, long out of print EP’s.  The only way this CD would be better is if it came wrapped in a skinny tie! - JC

Denim and Leather – Sacred Autism LP (Drunken Sailor)

This is some heavy stuff!  Denim and Leather found in their brains the prefect mix of 80's DC Hardcore levels of ferocity with the heaviness of bands like Jesus Lizard and Scratch Acid.  But then they go and sound like Nick Cave on the tune “Ancient Cowboy Burial Ground” and there’s also a Husker Du vibe peppered on some tracks as well. If I had to compare it to anything going on right now, I’d say it’s in the same room with bands like Ceremony and TV Freaks.  - JC 

Fashionism – Smash Singles LP (Drunken Sailor)

My favorite band has two, count them TWO new releases. Absolutely Glorious! As the title suggests this is a compilation of the band’s stellar singles. If you’ve been cruelly depriving your ear drums of the sweet sounds of Vancouver’s Fashionism, then let me attempt to describe what you’ve been missing.  Think The Gift era Jam mod pop mixed with the raw melodic punk sounds of bands like the Boys, Generation X and Teenage Head.  Yes that’s what you’ve been missing. Now go cry and clench your fists in regret. But redemption is still at hand and it lies in the purchase of this record.  - JC

Fashionism – Come On My Baby 7” (Drunken Sailor/Neon Taste)

Another striking single from Fashionism.  The A-Side and title track explodes with The Clash’s “White Riot” levels of energy and never lets up. “Come On My Baby” has more of a pop sensibility to it though.  The B-Side, is called “Baby She’s Gone” and it’s a slower, crying in my beer style song that sounds like it could have been an early Elvis Costello penned tune.  I can’t quite put into words how much this band inspires me.  They’re the kind of band that makes you want to get up and start your own group. – JC 

F.U.K. – Detroit 1977 7” (Hozac)

This is another fine addition to the Hozac’s wonderful archival series.  The name of the record pretty much says it all.  F.U.K. (Fucked Up Kids) apparently played one show on Halloween night, 1977 in Ann Arbor MI and only recorded these two songs! The band also features a couple of guys that went and formed some band called Mission of Burma, perhaps you’ve heard of them?  The A-side is a scrappy smoker of a 77 punk tune, B-Side sounds a little more early New Wave like The Now.  – JC

Freak Genes – Qwak Qwak LP (Drunken Sailor)

If you remember the stellar Playtime LP that this band released last year, well not too much has changed thankfully.  But if you don’t, then I’ll have you know that Freak Genes are still emitting the same Swell Maps meets The Toy Dolls bizarre smart ass style of irreverent music.  Some of the tunes on here also give me a Sleaford Mods feel too. This LP is a 17 song mammoth with few clunkers folks.  That says something about this band right there.  - JC

ISS – S/T LP (Drunken Sailor)

This duo have the dead pan delivery and biting wit of groups like The Fall, Wire and Gang of Four. Now try to imagine that laid out over droning minimalist beats. The music is in a haunting post punk production and the vocals are delivered with venom like only the British know how to do.  But these guys are from North Carolina?! Oh yes, you read that right! Drunken Sailor calls it “post-punk-garage-sample-lo-fi-snot-core at its finest”.  Very well said, I totally agree! - JC

Ruby Karinto S/T LP (Hozac)

Apparently I can now add Hozac records to that list of labels that churn out unpredictable releases!  Ruby Karinto are a four piece band from Victoria, BC and play synth heavy herky jerky pop tunes.  I can easily imagine Mike Myers and Dana Carvey dancing to this during one of those old Saturday Night Live Sprockets sketches.  This isn’t one of those instantly likeable records, this is one you have to sit and absorb in order to appreciate the band’s complexity.  – JC

Ogikubo Station – We Can Pretend Like LP (Asian Man Records)

This is the duo’s (which includes Mike Park & Mixtape's Maura Weaver) follow up to last year’s Self-Titled debut EP which was an all folk endeavor.  This time around they employ a full band on some of the songs. Even though they did give some of the tunes here the full instrumental treatment they still remain melancholy, which gives them a Shins/Death Cab for Cutie/Rilo Kiley feel to them now.  That may seem like a lazy comparison but the song writing on this album is definitely on the Ben Gibbard/Jenny Lewis level. This is quite an ambitious and well executed effort and I highly recommend this if you're at all a fan of the above mentioned bands or that style of music.  - JC

Sex Tourists - S/T LP (Drunken Sailor)

WOW! We never quite know what to expect from Drunken Sailor records, except for the fact that their releases are usually pretty great.  Seeing this record and the band’s name, my imagination ran all over the place.  I grew up on dark 80’s synth pop like New Order, OMD, Depeche Mode. Pet Shop Boys, Human League, well by now you get the picture.  Australia’s Sex Tourists’ fantastic LP fits in perfectly with all of the above mentioned bands.  If you’re a fan of that style, I can’t recommend this enough! - JC

The Sueves – R.I.P. Clearance Event LP (Hozac)

This band is from Chicago and are now offering, well technically their fourth LP (some of their previous long players were cassette releases) for you to go home and play really really loudly.  Bands like this, the louder you play them the better they sound.  The Sueves draw from a similar river as Drive Like Jehu, Rocket From The Crypt, Hot Snakes, Obits and maybe even some drops of Nation of Ulysses tossed in.  This is my first time hearing this band and based on this LP, now I’m on the hunt for their earlier stuff.  - JC

Rad Max – Rad Tracks LP (Self Released)

These guys are from Portland and classify themselves “Rad Wave”.  And why not, after rap/metal country/rap and reggaeton, new musical mishmash genres can't get any worse.  The band’s official description – “a chaotic vision of post-punk tomfoolery, ping-ponging through a kitschy, apocalyptic 80’s landscape”. I couldn’t have said it better myself.  This release reminds me of Boris the Sprinkler coupled with Eddie Money cheese infused mochismo.  The production is pretty good, the synths swirl around in the background and the guitar is thick and up front, K.K. Downing style! - JC

RIK & The Pigs – A Child’s Gator LP (Total Punk)

Well now this is quite impressive!  Olympia Washington’s Rik & the Pigs have come a long way.  They’re going for a 70’s Aussie sound like The Saints, X, Chosen Few types but scrappier and they’re pulling it!  The production on this LP is the best I’ve heard on any Pigs record so far. Not to say it’s polished or anything but this new clearer sound suits the band perfectly.  The guitars are hook filled and set to full buzzsaw mode and the vocals radiate desperation and madness!  This one’s a stunner kids! - JC

Velveteen Rabbit – Mind Numbing Entertainment  7” (Hozac)

Oh wow, as soon as I heard the opening guitar sound on this 7” I knew I was in for something special.  Former Jeanies unleash two of the best songs I’ve heard all year!  Think Marc Bolan’s monster hooks along with those hard stomping Gary Glitter beats mixed with Bowie’s softer spoken vocal delivery and you’ve got yourself a super star of a record!  The B-Side has an almost Lovin’ Spoonful melody to it and it cooks hot too!  Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor now. 
On second thought, I'll just leave it down there since I'm about to listen to this record again and I'm not going to pick off all the cat hair and potato chip crumbs off of it again! – JC

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The Not Amused: Mod Swagger With Punk Passion

Out of all the music that flows in and out of my hollow head, there are few genres that instantly cause my cynical ear to point up; 70's flavored punk usually does the trick. There's something about that music from that particular time period that's teaming with anxiety, restlessness and a whole host of other raw human emotions.  Not to mention just the way it was recorded back then; the guitars sounded like power tools sawing flesh and the drums sounded like they were beating right on to your skull. With all the vigor punk music had then, most of the bands (the good ones anyway) didn't forget the importance of hooks and melodies.  Bands like The Jam, Teenage Head, Generation X, and The Undertones were prime examples of this.  Now fast forward to 2016 and in walk Berlin's The Not Amused, fishing from the same pond as the bands mentioned above but adding their own elements to the music that can only be found in the fuss and fluster of living life in the 21st century. So now there's a whole new breed of beast to contend with, which is every bit as formidable as before if not more so.

Interview by J Castro

Who is currently in the band and what does everyone do in it?

KIDNAP: Current lineup is Sir Harris XLV on vocals, Rosa Riot on drums, Shockhead on Bass and me, Kidnap on guitar.

How did you all meet and decide to play music together?

KIDNAP: We first met in 2004 when Sir Harris and our former bass player Hansi asked me to join their 60’s Garage Trash project. I told them, that I'd pretty much prefer late 70s obscure Power Pop, Punk and Mod Revival. And that's how it all started.

What band or musician first inspired you to want to pick up an instrument and learn to play and/or write music?

KIDNAP: I started to spend all my money on records in my early teens, so there've been lots of influences, mostly Punk Rock bands. I bought the 2^nd album by the Guttersnipes from Glasgow when it got out and instantly fell in love with the 1^st track “Already There”. Those sharp, fast, tight and catchy rhythm guitars made me take one of my first few guitar lessons! (Sadly their singer passed away earlier this year)

How would you describe your band to your grandparents?

KIDNAP: Loud & fast Rock 'n' Roll (since that's probably the only music aside from German 'Schlager' and Folk music they could have had an idea of what I was talking about)

What sorts of things do you typically enjoy writing songs about? 

KIDNAP: Our songs are about death (Hit By A Bus, Bazooka), getting beaten up (Bovverbaby), love (Ethel, Watching You) and also politics (Little War, Burn ’em Down), not to forget the Royals. We started the band with the intention to write teenage songs without a special meaning like most of those old Power Pop bands did, but writing about girls and cars got us bored pretty soon.

I’ve heard people say that playing and writing music is therapeutic to them.  Have you ever found this to be true?

KIDNAP: Absolutely! I'd have gone completely nuts if there weren’t any bands in my life. Sometimes it can drive you mad, if you've got to cancel a show at the very last moment because somebody in the band forgot to tell you that he's on holiday and didn't have the show in mind that you've been planning for months, but on the other hand there couldn't be anything better after a hard day at the office (those days we all try to avoid badly!!!) than turning up your amp and have some drinks together at the rehearsal.

Does it annoy you or distract you at all to see some of your audience members fondling their phones while you’re up on stage performing?

KIDNAP: I hate it! If you're on stage, drenched in sweat trying to entertain your audience and give the best you can while certain people seem to be more interested in their Facebook chat sucks.  I'd really prefer those guys to piss off and even would pay them back their entry.

 

By Appointment To Her Royal Highness 12" released on Splinter Records/Queen Mum Records

After one of your shows, what sort of feeling or sentiment do you hope your audience walks away with? 

KIDNAP: A smile on people's faces is the best payment a band could get. All we want is to have a good time and if the people coming to our shows are having a great night out, it couldn't be any better.

What is your favorite album to listen to from start to finish?

KIDNAP: It changes from time to time, but one record I'm never getting tired of spinning is Let Your Fingers Do the Talking by Billy Karloff & The Extremes. If you'll ask me tomorrow it might be a different one.

What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you that you still follow to this day?

KIDNAP: Linse, singer of the Bad News, once told me that you can only do a good show if you do it for yourself in the first place no matter if you play to either 2 or 200 people. That's what I keep in mind every time I enter the stage.

Flaunting Their Talents 12" released on  Splinter Records/Queen Mum Records

What is the best way people can hear and get a hold of your music?

KIDNAP: Music should be affordable for everyone so our first 2 releases are available for free at thenotamused.bandcamp.com. Of course we're very happy if people buy our records as well since we're pretty much a DIY band and so a little support helps to keep it going.

What lies ahead for the band in 2016?

KIDNAP: There'll finally be new records! An 8-Track 12” and a 7” that will hopefully be released this summer! And maybe there'll be another tour in Spain in late summer.

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Low Doses

     In the short time they’ve been together, Low Doses have already molded a unique sound for themselves. It’s like they’ve taken hardy bites of New York’s heroin smeared, tight leather jacketed rock n’ roll swagger from the Thunders/Bators/Vincent class of the late ‘70’s, popped pills crammed with mid ‘60’s UK mod/beat like early Who and Small Faces and chased those pills with a shot of American garage frenzy similar to The Sonics.  The songs have a foundation poured with unforgettable melodies that quickly set in your brain; they’re framed in thick, sturdy guitar chords and coated with zesty tempos that command your attention. These East Coast city dwellers effortlessly blur the lines of garage and power-pop, and they’re just getting started on us! 

Interview by J Castro

Let’s start by telling me who’s currently in the band and what you all do in The Low Doses:

Right now we’ve got Ryan Masterson on guitar and vocals, Joi La Cour on Bass, and a rotating cast of drummers. We started the band with Vin Russoniello, and he plays drums on most of our recordings.

How did you meet and decide to play music together?

RYAN: We’ve all pretty much known each other since high school. Vin and I played in a band together back then, and our best friend had a hopeless crush on Joi, so we knew her that way. Vin and I reconnected in 2013 and started the Low Doses, and then I ran into Joi at the music store where she was working. I didn’t have the balls to ask her on a date, so I asked her to play bass with us and she totally fell for it!

JOI: I was in Livids (R.I.P.) at the time, but I thought he was hot so I said yeah and gave him my email address. It took him like 6 months to actually send me a song, but when he finally did I really liked it and so I started playing with them when Livids broke up.

Who do you feel had the biggest influence on you musically and please tell me about the first time you heard this band/musician: 

RYAN: I’d have to say my biggest influence as a guitar player is Johnny Thunders and as a songwriter: Ray Davies and Paul Collins. The first time I heard the New York Dolls was in high school and something definitely clicked inside my head. I don’t think I fully understood it at the time though. I mean, I spent a lot more time listening to the usual teenage classic rock shit before I understood where the Dolls were coming from and what made them so exciting. Eventually I got into more of the bands that they influenced and were influenced by and I think that has really helped shape our sound.

As for the other two--well, who can remember the first time they heard the Kinks? And the first time I heard the Nerves I definitely had the feeling that they were pretty much made to suit my exact musical tastes. I wished that I wrote every one of their songs.

JOI:  I’ve been a ‘60’s rock n’ roll girl pretty much since birth, but by the time I started playing bass I was basically into mostly punk, which is lucky because I had no formal musical training. The Libertines inspired me to take my playing a bit more seriously and though I learned how to play guitar by mimicking those guys, I ended up in a fast n’ dirty punk band called Livids with ex-New Bomb Turks singer Eric Davidson. I think the Kinks are our mutual heroes and our love of those songs is our tightest musical bond.

The Low Doses are currently based in New York and New Jersey. Is it tough being in a band and living in such a huge city with so much going on every night? 

RYAN: Yeah, for sure. Everything in New York is so competitive. I couldn’t even get a job as a fucking waiter when I first moved here and I grew up working in restaurants. Also, I live in New York right now but Joi lives back in our hometown of Trenton so we’re sorta caught between two places. But back in Jersey there’s not much going on in the way of our style of music so we don’t find ourselves playing there too often. There’s mostly just a market for Bon Jovi covers.

JOI: To be fair, they’re starting to throw a lot of Nickelback in the mix…

You guys recently made a video for the song “You’re Gonna Lose.” Tell me a bit about it if you will? 

JOI: My best friend since childhood, Jackie Roman, approached us about making a video that she had already conjured up in her head. She wanted to play out scenes from the works of the photographer Duane Michals and use footage that she had taken while riding on trains throughout the NJ/NY area. All we had to do was show up and let Jackie work her magic. We were really stoked to see the final product!

I recently read an article about music videos still being relevant despite MTV pretty much no longer showing them. Why do you think their popularity remains?

RYAN: Hmm. I’ve never really thought about it, but I guess since everyone is walking around with a video camera on their phone and with YouTube and so many other platforms available to share them, it just makes sense that bands are gonna continue to make them so yeah, technology. 

JOI: We don’t fancy ourselves internet/technology savvy folks, but hey, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Also, they can be a lot of fun and interesting in their own right. Just look at what Jackie did with ours!

On your Facebook page you list the 1960’s and 1970’s as influences. Are there any current bands that you enjoy listening to and find inspiration in? 

RYAN: Uhh, Jan Terri’s still making music, isn’t she??? But seriously, yeah, there are plenty of current bands I enjoy listening to. I was checking out your 2014 top ten lists earlier, and I love so many of the bands you guys covered. You know, stuff like Dino’s Boys and Barreracudas. But I don’t really use newer bands for source material or inspiration. If anything, I’ll go back in time further to generate songwriting ideas.

What sorts of things influence your song lyrics? Are there any particular topics you purposely stay away from, if so why?

RYAN: Well they say write what you know right? So I write about drugs and girls, naturally. I enjoy staying within the usual bounds of rock and roll lyrics. There aren’t any topics I shy away from but I try to keep things simple and try not to make any “statements” or anything like that. I’m not a good enough writer so it doesn’t come off well if I try to make things too serious. But I really wish I could be one of those songwriters who make pointed social observations, like Ray Davies or Paul Weller, ha ha.

When you play in front of an audience, what sort of feeling or sentiment do you hope to convey to an audience that hopefully they will walk away with?

RYAN: We really just want our shows to be fun and we strive to hold people’s attention. If I look out and see a bunch of people checking their Facebook, then I know we’re doing something wrong.

JOI: Yeah, we just don’t want anyone to walk away, ya know, during the set.            

I always hear golfers say how many “life lessons” can be learned from playing golf.  What sorts of “life lessons” do you feel people learn from being in a band?

RYAN: I definitely wasn’t expecting to see any golf related questions, ha ha. I prefer to get my life lessons from baseball. I’m a Mets fan, so I’ve learned to dream big and achieve small. Being in a band is kinda the same I guess.

What’s the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?

RYAN: Don’t date your bandmate…whoops.

JOI: Don’t wear that on stage.

What’s in store for the Low Doses in 2015?

We just recorded some songs at Volume IV studios in New Brunswick, NJ, two of which will be coming out on 7” this spring. We’d really like to go back there make an LP later this year if we can and we’re gonna make another video, this time for our song “Bathroom Stall.” But mostly we’re just focusing getting all of our band members living in one place so we can play out more regularly. Definitely look for us to be playing in the New York area a lot this summer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRN08x9fvwU

https://www.facebook.com/TheLowDoses

http://lowdoses.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/the-low-doses

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The Most

Photo Credit: Andreas Säker

     There’s a town in Sweden called Umeå that lies along the Ume River. It’s the 12^th largest town in Sweden and is mostly known for medical research and technical education thanks to the University that was established there in 1965. And speaking of 1965, there’s also a wonderful band from Umeå that goes by the name The Most. Their brand of rhythm and blues music is heavily influenced by the pop music of the mid ‘60’s. Much like the musical groups that were birthed along the Mersey River some forty years prior, the Ume River has given life to this new group that similarly fuses the guitar sounds of Chuck Berry and Lubbock’s favorite son Buddy Holly along with elements of Motown soul, doo wop and blues. The time has come for a new global Mod rock resurrection and The Most are just the band to usher it in!            

Interview by J Castro 

Let’s start off with introductions.  Who is currently in the band and what instruments do you all play? 

Frans Perris – Guitars and vocals

Magnus Kollberg – Guitars and vocals

Martin Claesson – Bass and vocals

Mats ’Slimstick’ Westin – Drums and vocals

Where are you all from originally and how did you meet and decide to play music together? 

FRANS: Two Swedes, one half-Italian and one the son of a Finnish war child. We share a common taste in music and we sometimes get along fine!

Photo Credit: Lina Lindqvist 

How would you describe your band’s sound to someone that’s never heard you guys before? 

FRANS: People say it sounds like music from the ‘60’s.

The Most is based in the town of Umeå, Sweden. What is it like playing shows out there for a band like yours, is there a supportive scene?   

FRANS: Eh, no scene whatsoever. The two Justins* are big here too. (*Bieber and Timberlake)

By playing music heavily influenced by the 1960’s, do you ever feel your songwriting is restricted in some ways? Do you ever write songs that you feel don’t fit into The Most’s “sound?”  

FRANS: Not at all, there is so much music to draw inspiration from. We sound the way we do because we are the people we are.

Photo Credit: Roger Degerman

What qualities do you think rock n’ roll music from the 1960’s has that makes that era so unique and vital still almost half a century later?   

FRANS: Quality! Of course there are many bands now forgotten that were pretty boring but the large number of good acts that has survived into our times had it down. Experimenting with lyrics, arrangements and sounds changed music very fast in the early ‘60’s and some very interesting things appeared. Later on people started copying each other too much, focused more on image than on the music. Later recording technique suffered as it went to ridiculous multi-tracking.

Do you think image is still important to a rock n’ roll band these days? I’ll admit that if I see a band in suits come up on stage I get a little more excited and curious than if I see four guys in t-shirts and shorts shuffle up to the stage.   

FRANS: There are many aspects to artistry and to entertain is one of them. We suit up of respect to our audience basically.

You guys have made a few videos throughout the years.  You made one last year for the old Tages song “Fuzzy Patterns.” Can you tell me a bit about it, like where it was filmed and who made it? 

FRANS: A real quick job. It was shot here in Umeå, up along the river. It was a very hot day and our good friend and photographer Roger Degerman filmed it. Andreas Säker, also a friend, is one of the main editors from national television and helped us out putting it together. We didn’t have any firm ideas but were inspired by old Tages footage and the scene from Zeppelin’s ‘70’s movie with Jimmy Page sitting near the pond with his Hurdy Gurdy. Ha, ha.

Photo Credit: Lina Lindqvist

If The Most could tour with any band from any era in rock ‘n roll history, who would it be and why? 

FRANS: Howlin’ Wolf!

What lies ahead for The Most in 2015? 

 FRANS: Try to get cool gigs, record as much music as possible and have fun!!

Links to promote
www.facebook.com/FaceTheMost

YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuqAEcY1RIKqWbvkrg0s6Zg

The Most

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